Holy Water
by moonlitmuse
Summary: Something tragic from Kate's past comes back to haunt her and Tony will do anything to help her. Can the two unite to defeat her past once and for all and create a new future? TATE, of course. CHAPTER 15 is up...the aftermath
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: **I don't usually write this kind of fic but I couldn't get the idea out of my head. It's TATE, of course, but it may get kind of heavy. There will eventually be some adult situations but nothing really graphic so the rating may be subject to change. Just thought I should warn you. And the title comes from Big & Rich.

**A/N 2: **I've been having trouble getting the next chapter just right for my other NCIS fic, _Cure My Tragedy_, so I decided to write this instead. I promise to keep working on both fics and I apologize to anyone who's been waiting for that next chapter. I could probably use some ppl to run that chapter by since I'm having so many problems, so let me know if anyone's interested. Please review, it's what keeps me writing!

**Disclaimer: **N.C.I.S. and its characters belong to bellesario, and "Holy Water" belongs to Big & Rich.

**Holy Water**

Tony knew that something wasn't right the minute Kate stepped off the elevator. She was smiling, but he could tell it wasn't real. She was using the smile as a shield to keep anyone from seeing the truth, but that never worked with Tony. She thought she was so strong and that she could fool everyone but Tony always so through her. Everything he needed to know was in her eyes, even if no one else could see it.

_Somewhere there's a stolen halo_

_I used to watch her wear it well_

_Everything would shine wherever she would go_

_But looking at her now you'd never tell_

He didn't like what he saw in her eyes now, and he wanted nothing more than to rush to her side and take of her. He could see a mixture of hurt and fear reflected in her eyes but what really got him was the spark of guilt, like whatever was hurting her now was her own fault. Right now, she wasn't the kick-ass, totally self-confident Kate he knew and loved, and he was filled with a momentary need to kill whoever had made her feel this way.

Kate made her way to the desk, praying she could keep her mask in place for the rest of the day. She didn't want anyone to know what had happened. They couldn't find out. It would change everything. She let out a sigh of relief when she reached her desk. So far, no one suspected a thing. No one had looked at her differently or asked her any questions. She could do this.

She sat down and took a deep breath to calm herself down. It didn't work, of course. She reached for her phone to check her messages and noticed Tony staring at her. Instead of his usual megawatt smile or devious smirk she saw a heated look of concern that burned right through the fragile mask she was working so hard to keep in place. She froze with a deer-in-the-headlights look as they locked eyes. _Oh my God,_ she thought, _he knows._

She quickly looked away, almost guiltily. This was horrible. Tony was probably the absolute last person she wanted to know the truth. She couldn't take this. She should have just called in sick but she hadn't wanted to be all alone at home. She thought this was the lesser of two evils, but she'd been wrong. She had to get out of here, but that would look suspicious. She had to be smart about this. She needed to think. As nonchalantly as possible, she stood and slowly walked to the stairwell.

Now, he was even more worried after the way she'd reacted. She knew that she'd been busted and he was terrified she was going to leave. He'd almost jumped up to run after her when she'd walked away but he'd fought the urge. She obviously didn't want everyone to know and he didn't want to do anything that might cause her more pain. Besides, he noted that she'd left her purse behind so she probably wasn't fleeing from the building. Knowing Kate, he'd realized exactly where she was going. He waited two extremely long minutes before casually entering the stairwell.

Kate stared out at the grey, overcast sky from her perch on the roof. It looked like the sky could let loose at any second, which reflected her mood perfectly. She wondered for the millionth time how everything had gotten so screwed up. She'd thought that she'd finally put everything behind her, but she'd been wrong. The past definitely had a way of biting her in the ass every time she thought she'd finally escaped it. Even with all of her government training she still didn't know how to deal with this.

She heard the door behind her open and closed her eyes, trying to shut everything out. It was the old child's trick, if I can't see you then you can't see me. If she couldn't see him, then he wasn't there. Too bad she couldn't still believe that. She felt him stop right behind her but she still jumped when he placed a hand on her shoulder and whispered, "Kate."

He quickly dropped his hand to his side when he saw her flinch like she was afraid of him and tried to ignore how much her reaction hurt. She slowly turned to face him and he was once again struck by the sadness in her eyes. He swallowed the lump in his throat. "What's wrong, Katie?"

She froze and all the color drained from her face. The hurt in her eyes magnified and he felt like a total ass, but he had no clue what he'd said that was so bad. He saw unshed tears shining in her eyes as she whispered, "Don't. Please?" Her pained plea nearly broke his heart, but he wasn't sure exactly what she was asking.

"Don't what? I don't understand." His voice was low and filled with remorse. He hated causing her pain but he needed to know what was wrong. His eyes pleaded with her to let him in.

"Don't call me that. Please, just don't." It came out barely above a whisper and she silently prayed he'd leave it at that. She'd already been on the verge of losing it, but that nickname was about to send her over the edge.

"I'm sorry. I just want to help you. Please, you have to let me in, let me help you. Tell me what happened. I promise that I just want to make it better."

She could see her own pain reflected in his eyes and she knew that he really did care. "I can't. I just can't." She turned away from him quickly, hoping he hadn't seen the tear slide down her cheek.

The sight of Kate crying was like a punch in the gut, and the fact that she'd turned away and refused to confide in him hurt more than he'd like to admit. But he couldn't be dissuaded. He took a step forward, completely closing the gap between them, and took a huge chance. He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her tight against him. She didn't flinch this time, which he took as a good sign.

"It's okay. It's all going to be okay, just tell me what happened and I'll make whoever hurt you pay. I promise." He whispered in her ear in an attempt to console her even though he had no clue what was going on. All he knew was that something horrible had to have happened and that whoever had caused this deserved to die. Her silent tears turned to sobs so he spun her around until she was nestled snuggly against his chest. Kate didn't fight it. Instead, she buried her head in his shirt and let her tears flow.

He held her as tight as he could for what seemed like ages. Kate hated the way she was acting but she was reacting but she couldn't make the tears stop. It felt so good right now to be held and to be able to let everything out. She didn't want to admit it, but she never wanted to leave his arms. Despite everything that was going on, he actually made her feel like everything would be okay as long as she was in his arms.

Finally, her sobs quieted and she slowly looked up at Tony like he had all the answers in the world. He took in her tearstained face and wished he could take all her pain away. First, he needed to know what was going on. Kate buried her face in his shirt again and he worried that she was going to retreat from him. He couldn't let that happen, so he reached down and tilted her chin up with a single finger.

"Hey," he whispered tenderly, "It's okay. Why don't I go get you're purse and take you home? You can tell me what's wrong and we can figure something out, okay?" He really needed her to agree to this. He definitely needed to get her home since she was in no condition to work, and he figured he'd have a better chance of getting her to talk outside of the office.

She started to shake her head. "We can't just leave. Gibbs will want to know why and…" She was cut off when he placed a finger to her lips. He didn't want her to start worrying anymore than she already was.

"I'll take care of Gibbs. I'll just tell him that you're sick and I'm going to take you home. I promise you that I won't tell him anything. Just trust me?" The last part came out as a question that he really needed her to say yes to. He needed to know that she trusted him, and not just because of whatever was going on.

Luckily for him she nodded, "Of course I trust you, Tony," and he breathed a big sigh of relief. It would have been like someone ripping out his heart if she'd have said she didn't trust him.

He didn't want to let her out of his arms but he knew they needed to get home so they could talk. "Come on." He took her hand to keep some kind of contact and led her to the stairwell door.

They stopped outside of the door to the office and Tony was forced to drop her hand. "Be right back." He hated leaving her for even a second so he had to do this quick. He went straight to her desk to grab her purse, which earned a raised eyebrow from Gibbs, then crossed to his desk to grab his bag. Now came the harder part.

"Hey, boss, Kate isn't feeling well so I'm going to take her home, okay?"

Gibbs eyed Tony suspiciously and left him hanging for a moment before he agreed. "Fine, get her home and make sure she's okay, but don't take too long. We'll already be an agent down so I'll need you back here ASAP. Got it?"

"Got it, boss." Tony said as he rushed back to the stairwell to retrieve Kate. He knew he wouldn't be back ASAP but he'd have to deal with Gibbs later. He had way more important things to worry about right now.

Gibbs watched Tony retreat. He wasn't stupid and he knew he was being lied to. He'd noticed them leave a few minutes apart and had immediately been suspicious. He'd always wondered when something would happen between them but he was sure that hadn't happened yet, so he couldn't figure out why they were suddenly skipping out of work. Even if they'd suddenly admitted their feelings there was no way they'd be so irresponsible as to ditch work. That meant something else was going on that they didn't want anyone to know about. His gut told him that something was wrong, but he knew that he had to trust his agents. He'd had to let Tony take Kate home and hope like hell that they could handle whatever was wrong.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: **Once again, the lyrics are from "Holy Water" by Big & Rich. Thanks to everyone who reviewed! Please review, I crave feedback! And this chapter wouldn't turn out exactly the way I wanted it to, I guess because I was exposed to a similar situation this weekend. Anyway, feel free to leave some constructive criticism to help me out.

**A/N2: **This is where the adult situations come into play, but there's nothing really graphic that would warrant a rating change (I think).

**Holy Water: Chapter 2**

Tony drove her home in silence but held her hand the entire time. It was a small comfort that Kate was grateful for. She hadn't wanted to go back home but she wasn't afraid now that Tony would be there. She'd worried the entire time he'd been getting their stuff and talking to Gibbs that he wouldn't be able to come and that she'd have to go home alone. After what had happened this morning she didn't think she could have done that. She'd been so relieved when he'd appeared with their bags in his hand that she'd wanted to jump into his arms, but she still wasn't ready to admit how much his being here meant to her.

As they got closer to home she had a new set of worries to deal with. She knew now that she would have to tell Tony something. There'd be no escaping it, and she couldn't really lie to him. It wouldn't be fair after how nice he'd been. Besides, it had felt too nice and safe in his arms. She selfishly wanted that feeling back, wanted him to keep the bad things at bay. She wouldn't like it, but she had to tell him.

They pulled into her parking spot and silently entered her building. She hesitated a moment at her door and Tony immediately picked up on her apprehension. He shot her a questioning look but she quickly unlocked the door before he could say anything. She took a deep breath as she opened the door, and then froze when she saw a white envelope resting on the hardwood floor.

Tony followed her gaze to the envelope and immediately noticed the name. _Katie_ was scrawled in black ink, and suddenly certain things began to make sense. He placed a hand on the small of her back in an attempt to offer support and she immediately leaned back, sinking into his arms. She turned around and buried her head beneath his neck.

"He's back." It was barely a whisper but Tony still caught her words and squeezed her tighter. He still didn't know what was going on, but he knew they shouldn't be standing in the hall. He took a step and Kate moved with him until the door was shut and locked behind them.

"Shh. It's all going to be okay. We're going to get you out of here, okay?" He felt her nod against his chest. "I want you to pack a bag. We're going to go back to my place and then you can tell me everything, okay?" He felt her nod again but she made no move to let go, not that he really wanted her to but he didn't want them to be here any longer than they had to be. He took a step towards the hallway and once again Kate moved with him. They walked down the hall and into her bedroom as one, totally in sync, before Kate finally had to let go so she could pack.

Five minutes later, she had everything she needed. Tony grabbed the letter and then wrapped an arm around her as the left her apartment. He was extremely vigilant as the locked up and went back to the car, looking for anyone who might be following them. He didn't see anything suspicious but he still felt totally uneasy. He kept an eye trained on the rearview mirror and Kate's hand in his as he drove to his apartment.

Only when they were safely inside his apartment did he begin to relax. He ushered Kate to the couch then excused himself to turn on the coffee pot. He put Kate's bag in his room while he was waiting for the coffee. When it was finally ready he poured two cups and returned to Kate's side. She sipped the coffee slowly before finally turning her attention to the man beside her who clearly wanted answers.

"Kate, I need you to tell me everything." She nodded, but didn't say anything. After a minute, he opened his mouth to tell her it was okay but she beat him to it.

"It started a long time ago, my senior year of high school. I'd always been friends with guys but never anything more." She started out slowly. He could tell how painful it was for her and he placed his hand on hers to remind her that he was there, that it was okay. She took a deep breath and continued. "Then Greg showed up. He was 21 and treated me like no guy ever had. He told me I was beautiful and amazing and he made me feel good about myself. Then he got really possessive really fast. We weren't even dating but he'd go ballistic when I hung out with my other guy friends. Then he'd apologize and say he hadn't meant anything by it. I let it go. I believed him because…"

She paused, clearly struggling with the memory. "I thought he was my chance at love, because no one had ever been interested in me that way. I didn't know what I was doing but I trusted him. He was my first kiss, but it didn't feel all magical the way you always hear it does. Still, I convinced myself that he was amazing and that everything was great. Then he started making comments about me. He kept putting me down and saying things he knew would hurt me and kill my self-esteem."

The tears that had been threatening to overflow finally did, silently streaming down her cheek. Tony hated seeing her like this. He reached up and brushed the tears away with his thumbs, but they just kept coming. He scooted closer and wrapped an arm around her. She slid into his embrace and dropped her head to his shoulder.

After a moment, she continued. "I let it all go because I didn't want to lose the one person I thought loved me, and he was so nice most of the time. Then, one night, everything changed. He was leaving the next day to visit his family so I told my parents I was staying at a friend's house and went to say goodbye. We were just supposed to watch TV and make out a little. I told him I didn't want to yet but…"

_Someone ran away with her innocence_

_A memory she can't get out of her head_

_I can only imagine what she's feeling when she's praying_

_Kneeling at the edge of her bed_

She started bawling again and Tony knew what was coming next. He really wanted to kill this bastard now. She trudged through the rest of the story through her tears, knowing that she had to get it out. "He said he'd waited long enough and I don't know exactly how it happened. Suddenly I was staring at the ceiling and hoping he'd get done soon. I didn't know what to do. I left the next morning and the next time he called I told him it was over, but he just laughed. He said that I was his now even though I was totally pathetic, but not to worry because he'd teach me everything I needed to know."

He could hear the fear in her voice as she relieved the horrible memories. "I was so scared, but I couldn't tell anyone. He came back and everything happened again, only worse. He didn't have to pretend to be the nice guy anymore. He'd use me and then tell me how horrible I was, that I was his realistic blow up doll. He'd make me do things and hit me if I didn't do it right. It went on for two months. I ran as soon as graduation was over. I didn't even bother to change out of my cap and gown. I had everything in my car and I ran away as fast as I could before he could catch on. I started taking summer classes at a community college but he found me. I ended up in the hospital with a concussion, and a cracked rib that punctured my lung, not to mention a lot of bruises. He told me I was his property and that I'd never escape him."

_And she says take me away_

_Then take me farther_

_Surround me now_

_And hold, hold, hold me like holy water_

"He hauled me back home. I ran again and he found me. This time he broke my leg so I couldn't run again. I took all my money and bought a ticked to D.C. as soon as the cast came off and joined the Secret Service. I didn't hear a word for almost a year and I thought I was safe. I made some friends and quit looking over my shoulder. I became really good friends with a guy named Mark who made me forget about the bad stuff for awhile. We were watching movies one night when there was a knock at the door. It was Greg. He knocked me to the floor and Mark tried to help, but Greg pulled a gun and shot out his knee."

"I begged Greg to stop but he kicked me, cracked another rib, and told me to shut up. He said he was going to show me that I was his and only his, and that no other guy way allowed to touch me. Mark was screaming in pain on the ground and Greg walked over and shot out his other knee. I tried to stop him but he hit me with the gun and I ended up on the ground next to Mark. Then he walked over and put the gun to Mark's head. He screamed at me to watch, to see what was going to happen all because of me. I didn't want to see and I kept begging him to stop, but he pulled the trigger anyway. Then the cops came busting through the door and it was over."

She completely broke down, but through the racking sobs he heard her repeating, "It's all my fault. It's all my fault. Oh God, it's all my fault."

"Shh. It's all over. It wasn't you're fault, it was his." He tried to calm her but he knew it was no use. He let her cry, slowly rubbing her back in an attempt to offer some comfort. He couldn't believe she'd been through all that and he'd never had a clue. He mentally smacked himself for all the stupid jokes he'd made.

_She wants someone to call her angel_

_Someone to put the light back in her eyes_

_She's looking through the faces_

_And unfamiliar places_

_She needs someone to hear her when she cries_

Finally, her sobs quieted. She was spent, completely cried out. She kept her head snuggled against his chest. "I found a letter on my car today. It said Katie and I knew it was him. He was the only one who ever called me Katie." Her voice was muffled against his chest.

"What did it say?" He absently stroked her hair.

"That I was still his and he was watching me." He couldn't see the single tear slide down her cheek. So much for being totally cried out.

"You're staying with me until we can find this guy. I'm not letting you out of my sight, got it?" He felt her nod. "I'm going to get the note we found. You don't have to read it if you don't want to, but we have to know what's in it. Then I think we should call Gibbs." He rushed to continue before she could object. "He doesn't need to know the story, just that this guy is dangerous and he's obsessed with you. He'd be able to able to help us. Is that okay with you?"

_She just needs a little help_

_To wash away the pain she's felt_

_She wants to feel the healing hands_

_Of someone who understands_

She was silent for a minute, considering her options. "I need to see the note. After that, you can call Gibbs. Just don't tell him everything. You're the only one I've ever told, besides the cops. I don't want him to know."

As much as he hated what she'd been through, he still felt a sense of pride that he was the only person she'd confided in. "I promise. I'm not going to do anything that you don't want me to. The last thing I want to do is hurt you." He kissed the top of her head because it just felt right, then slowly stood up even though he hated losing the feel of her. He returned a moment later with the ominous white envelope.


	3. Chapter 3

**AN: **warning: some of the content of this story may be disturbing to some readers. There's nothing graphic, just a few suggestions but I still figured I'd include a warning cuz Greg is clearly one disturbed, psychotic jerk. Anyway, please review! I'll be enjoying spring break next week and probably won't get a chance to update unless I get really motivated to write, cough reviews cough.

**Holy Water: Chapter 3**

"You ready?" Tony asked as he sat down next to her with the envelope in hand. When Kate hesitantly nodded he took a deep breath and gently opened it. He removed the letter and cautiously unfolded it. Several key words instantly jumped off the page at him and he hesitated, wishing that Kate didn't have to read it. He wanted to protect her from the words but he knew that he couldn't, even though it killed him. He wished he could do more to help her, but in the end all he could do was wrap an arm around her. He offered her support, a shoulder to lean on and a chest to cry on.

She knew it was going to be bad, especially when Tony froze after opening the letter. She was relieved when he wrapped an arm around her, reminding her that she wasn't alone. She leaned against him, thankful for the support, and her head instantly found what she now thought of as "her spot." Slowly, Tony lowered the letter to where they both could read it. There it was, scrawled in black and white, and she gasped.

_Katie,_

_You know what happens when you run from me, and now you have to pay. I spent 12 years in Hell all because you had to be a whore. Your boy toy got what he deserved, but that was nothing compared to what will happen now. You have 12 years of punishments coming to you, and I guarantee it will be painful. I know you got your job using the talents I taught you since those were the only talents you ever had, not that you ever were particularly skilled even at that. I hope you've gotten better, but I suppose I will have to find out for myself later. _

_I've seen the pictures. They were quite helpful, a kind of "who's who" on my list of things to kill do. You've really gotten around. You obviously need to be reminded of the rules but don't worry, I'll retrain you. I need to show you that you are and have always been MINE! Do you remember how pathetic you were when I found you? No one ever wanted you. You were totally useless. I gave you a purpose, to serve me, and you couldn't even do that right. You have always been a failure, never living up to anyone's expectations._

_But I took pity on you. I kept you when no one else would. I taught you valuable skills, showed you how to be the only thing you will ever amount to…my slut. And you repaid me by running and giving your body away. Your body is mine and no one is allowed to touch it without my permission. You knew that, yet you disobeyed me._

_I will come back for you, my Katie, but first I have to teach you a lesson. Taking one life wasn't enough to teach you to obey me, so now I have to take more. They must pay for touching you and for taking you from me. You see, Katie, you are death to everyone around you, everyone but me. That must be the only thing you're good at. Quite a talent, isn't it?_

_Always,_

_Greg_

Kate was in sobbing, the tears blurring the horrific words in front of her. All the threats she'd thought she left behind were staring back at her, only now it was a million times worse. Now he was going to hurt the people she'd cared about and all the ones who'd cared about her and it would all be her fault again. Then he would come back for her, just like he'd always said he would. It was her worst nightmare coming true, and she just wished she could wake up.

Tony tossed the letter on the coffee table so he could wrap her tightly in his arms. She continued to cry, soaking his shirt but he didn't care. He wanted to hit something, preferably Greg, but he knew he needed to be calm for Kate. He stroked her hair and murmured soothingly in her ear as he tried to clamp down on his anger.

"Shh, it's okay. He can't hurt you anymore. I'm here and I'm not going to let anyone hurt you. We're going to get this guy and everything will be okay. Shh, I promise he won't touch you, Kate. It'll all be okay." That sounded dumb even to his own ears. Nothing would ever be okay after what she'd been through. No one should have to go through that, least of all Kate. The only thing Tony could do now was keep her safe and make sure this guy paid dearly for what he'd done.

Kate tried to focus on Tony's words and the feel of his arms around her. She kept reminding herself that she wasn't alone now, she had Tony. She lost herself in the sound of his voice and managed to stop the flood of tears. She sat there with her head on his chest listening to the steady thump-thump of his heart for what felt like forever, just soaking up his warmth. She actually felt safe as long as she was right here, that Greg couldn't get anywhere near her as long as she was with Tony. She wished she could crawl inside him and hide from the world, or at the very least stay in his arms forever.

Tony loved holding her and he never wanted to stop, but he knew he had to call the cavalry. They needed to find this guy and they had to figure out who he was planning on going after. Tony could protect Kate but it would be a good idea to move somewhere safer or have some kind of back up. He kissed the top of her head, once again because it just felt right, and tilted her chin up so she was looking at him.

"I have to go call Gibbs and get some people on this, ok? I promise I won't tell him anything more than I absolutely have to, but he'll eventually need to know. He'll want to see the note and you're going to have to tell him what happened, but I'll tell him he can't see the note until tomorrow so you have some time. We're going to get this guy. I promise." Tony stared into her eyes, looking for any sign of objection. He saw a flash of panic at the mention of telling Gibbs, but that was it.

She took a deep breath and nodded, letting him know everything was alright, then moved back to her side of the couch so he could get up. He cursed the lack of contact but hurried to get his phone and call Gibbs. He'd considered calling from the couch so he could hold her in his arms, but he didn't want to upset her anymore. He went to the kitchen so he could still see her through the doorway, then punched speed-dial 2 on his cell phone. Kate, of course, was speed-dial 1.

Gibbs picked up on the second ring and Tony had to hold the phone away from his ear. "Where the hell are you! I told you to get back here ASAP! We're in the middle of a crime scene and I'm two agents short!"

"Gibbs!" Tony interrupted his tirade. "Listen to me, we have a situation here. Someone's after Kate."

There was silence on the other end of the phone. Gibbs, for once, was speechless. Of all the things he'd thought could be wrong when they'd left this morning that definitely hadn't been one of them. "What happened?"

Tony stuck to the basics. "High school boyfriend who thinks he owns her. About a year after she moved to D.C. he showed up at her door and blew away the guy she was hanging out with. Shot out both his knee caps then blew his brains out before the cops could get there. He spent 12 years in jail but he's out now. She found a note on her car this morning, that's why I took her home. We found another note slipped under her door when we got there, so I had her pack a bag and come to my place."

"If you found this when you got her home why the hell didn't you call me, DiNozzo? Why am I just finding out about this now?" Gibbs was using his angry, "how stupid are you" voice, which wasn't a good sign but Tony didn't care.

"I didn't get the story until we got here. I called you as soon as we read the letter." Tony pulled the phone away from his ear in anticipation, and he wasn't disappointed.

"You should have called me from the car, DiNozzo! You should have came straight back to the office, and you should not have opened that letter without me! Geez, Tony, haven't I taught you anything? I'm going to pass the case we're on to someone else and I'll be right over to talk to Kate and get that letter."

"You can get the letter and talk to Kate tomorrow, boss, just check out her apartment. The letter mentioned pictures and I think he's talking about Kate's photo albums. And check out everything you can find on Greg Patterson, that's the guy's name. In the letter he said that he was going to go after the people in Kate's life, probably starting with the guys in the pictures he mentioned. Let me know what you find, and can you send me a picture when you get it? I need to know who I'm looking for."

Gibbs was silent for a minute. "I do not take orders from you, Tony. Here's how it works, I tell and you do, got it? Now I'm going to come get the letter and talk to Kate, and I don't care if you have a problem with it or not. I will have McGee check out the name, though."

Tony let out an exasperated sigh. He knew this wouldn't be easy, but he had to do it for Kate. "Gibbs, you can't talk to her yet. Please, you'll understand everything tomorrow, just leave her alone for today."

"I'm guessing you know more than you're telling me. Dammit Tony, I need to know everything if we're going to help Kate."

"Look, I told you everything you need to know for right now. The rest is just background information that isn't really going to help you. All it would do now is hurt Kate and she's already been through enough today. Just come by tomorrow and you can talk to her then." Tony pleaded with Gibbs to understand.

"Fine. I'll be by tomorrow, but only because I don't want to hurt Kate." Gibbs knew that whatever they weren't telling him was huge and really painful. It wasn't like Kate to hide or to show weakness, so this had to be really horrible to rattle her so badly. "Is there anything else I should know?"

"Just that this guy is completely psycho and thinks that he owns her. But if you find him give me a call before you take him in. I want to beat the shit out of him." Tony's voice was completely cold and Gibbs wondered if beating this guy was all Tony wanted to do.

Gibbs hung up without saying goodbye and Tony returned to Kate. She hadn't been able to hear what Tony was saying since he'd purposely kept his voice low after getting Gibbs' attention. She'd felt uneasy and vulnerable the entire time he'd been gone and she breathed a sigh of relief when he returned, the feeling's instantly quieting. It was amazing how his just being there could make her feel so much better, like it might actually be okay.

"Gibbs is going starting the hunt. He'll be by tomorrow to talk to you." He stopped next to the couch, seeing her relax a little. "Can I do anything for you? Get you something to eat or drink?"

"Nope," Kate shook her head. "You're doing enough just by being here." She offered him a small, grateful smile as he sunk into the couch next to her. He immediately wrapped his arms around her and lightly kissed her temple. She found her spot on his chest and snuggled closer. She was content to simply enjoy the safety of his arms, and he was busy savoring the feel of her in his arms and swearing to God that he'd never let anything happen to her.


	4. Chapter 4

**AN: **Thanks for all the awesome reviews! Some of you, like agent-mac and shirik, totally read my mind for what's going to happen…eventually. As always, please review and let me know what you think!

**Holy Water: Chapter 4**

Even though Kate was emotionally exhausted she had no intention of sleeping, terrified of the nightmares that she knew would haunt her. But as she relaxed into Tony's embrace she felt her lids become heavy. Each time she blinked it became harder and harder to open her eyes again. She tried her hardest to fight it, to tell her body that she didn't need sleep, but it wasn't working.

Tony had put a movie on in the hopes it would give her something else to focus on instead of Greg. Even though she'd been paying more attention to Tony than the TV in front of her, she tried to force herself to get caught up in the movie. It was The Longest Yard but, even though she usually loved Adam Sandler movies, she couldn't concentrate on it.

She knew they both needed the humor right now, but even though she knew it was funny she couldn't make herself laugh. It was like she was watching everything from a million miles away, totally detached. She started to panic that she'd never be able to feel anything ever again, but it was like Tony could sense her thoughts and hugged her even tighter. She felt his arms and immediately calmed down, feeling a relaxing warmth spread through her. She could still feel Tony, so everything was going to be okay.

Tony could feel her fighting sleep and knew she had to be exhausted. He knew he wouldn't sleep, needing to stay fully alert so he could protect her if that stupid S.O.B. dared to get near her, but Kate definitely needed the sleep.. He had hoped she would finally give in after he put the movie on, especially since that would mean he got to hold her while she slept, but that obviously wasn't going to happen.

"Hey, Kate." He leaned down until he was breathing the words into her ear, keeping his voice low and soft so that he wouldn't startle her out of her sleepy state. "You've been through way too much today. How 'bout I show you to the bedroom and you can take a nap before dinner. I'll make us something great and wake you when it's ready, ok?" He held his breath, hoping she'd agree.

She was silent for a moment. It was tempting but she was terrified of what would happen if she fell asleep. Either Greg would come to her in a nightmare or he could come for real, but as she thought of the latter she mentally smacked herself. She knew she was safe with Tony but that still left the dreams, which would haunt her again just as they had when everything had first happened. She was so tired but she just couldn't take the dreams again. She couldn't sleep until it was over, even though she knew it would never really be over.

Tony knew she was about to say no so he jumped in before she had a chance. "C'mon, you can barely keep your eyes open." Her eyes felt even heavier now that he'd pointed out the truth, making it unable to deny it. His lips curled up in a half-smile as he saw her lids close for a few seconds before slowly opening again. His plan was working, so he continued in a soft, soothing voice to try and lull her to sleep. "You don't have to be afraid. I'm here, and I promise I won't let anything hurt you." He brushed his fingers through her hair and pressed a kiss to her temple. "Sleep," he commanded, gently but forcefully.

Her eyes started to drift shut and she couldn't fight it anymore. She felt Tony, so solid beneath her, and she knew his words were true. She trusted him to protect her, and she believed he really could chase the dreams, and the rest of the world, away. Her last thought before she drifted to sleep was that, after all these years, she was finally safe.

Tony was ecstatic to be holding her in his arms and watching her sleep for the past hour, but underneath rippled the blinding rage he felt for what she'd been through. While she slept, he was trying to get in the mind of that sick bastard to figure out what his next move should be. It seemed like this asshole wanted to go through the men from Kate's past before he came after Kate, so NCIS had to find them first. They could even use the guys to set a trap. He'd talk to Gibbs about it tomorrow.

Just then, his phone started to vibrate on the kitchen counter and he knew it had to be Gibbs. He looked at Kate's sleeping form and hated having to leave her, but this was important. He slowly slid out from under her, careful not to wake her, then grabbed a pillow to slide under her head.

"DiNozzo." He answered the phone after glancing at the display to make sure it was Gibbs.

"We got all the information on Greg Patterson and Abby is sending you his mug shot. You were right about the photo albums. It looks like some pictures are missing, and he scribbled on every picture of Kate with a guy, which includes members of the Secret Service and us. He used a black sharpie to X out every guy, put a black dot in the middle of his head, and wrote the word "MINE" in caps around Kate. All the pictures were labeled but only with a first name, so I'll bring them by tomorrow so Kate can tell us last names and where we can find them. We looked for an address book but didn't find one. She could just have everything in her PDA but check to make sure."

"Ok, boss. She's asleep now but I'll check with her as soon as she wakes up. If he has the book we'll have to find these guys ASAP and put them under surveillance. We should be able to catch him whenever he shows up."

"Exactly, which is why I need to know. Now. Go wake her up and ask her or, better yet, let me talk to her." Gibbs was clearly getting pissed at being kept out of the loop when one of his agents, or really all of them, were in danger.

"I can't Gibbs, she needs to sleep and I'm not going to wake her up with something like this. I had to fight with her to get her to take a nap. She'll never sleep if she wakes up to an interrogation. I'll talk to her when she wakes up and let you know."

"Dammit, Tony, I do not take my orders from you, clear? Kate has to talk to me about this and you have to stop coddling her. You can't protect her from everything if you want to catch this guy, so either let me talk to her or I'll be knocking down you're door in twenty minutes. Which is it?" Gibbs couldn't believe Tony was being so stupid about everything. He needed to know everything so he could protect Kate and catch this bastard, but Tony wouldn't even let him near her. This is why you didn't get involved with another agent, it messed with your loyalties and made you take stupid risks. Kate and Tony may not have been dating but they were definitely involved.

Gibbs had known there was chemistry there and that something may eventually happen, but they'd been good agents who tried to ignore their feelings and stick to the rules. Caring about each other had actually made them better partners, had made them more in tune with each other. But seeing Kate in so much pain had obviously brought out the protectiveness in Tony and had made their feeling rush to the surface. He had to get Tony to listen and rejoin the team or he'd be forced to pull him off the case.

Tony knew that Gibbs had him so he did the only thing he could. He chose option 3. "I'll go wake her. I'll ask her about the address book and call you back in five, maybe ten minutes, ok?"

"Fine." At least he'd get some answer. "Tell her that she needs to start making a list of all the guys she was close to, including friends, boyfriends, and colleagues. Have her include any information she has on where they might be now. If she can, have her give us a rough time line of when she knew them. This guy will probably follow some kind of chronology, starting with either the guy who he sees as his replacement or the current one. Find out if she's dating anyone now and what guys she's close to. My money is on the most recent guys since it'll be like eliminating his competition."

"Plus, the current ones will cause the most pain, and one of his goals is to hurt Kate and to punish her for leaving him." Tony agreed with his boss' reasoning as he glanced through the doorway again to check on Kate. She'd started tossing and turning since he'd last looked in on her. Gibbs said something but all of his attention was focused on Kate. She whimpered and curled up tighter into the fetal position. Then, she screamed and jumped up so fast that she fell off of the couch. He immediately dropped the phone, which landed with a resounding thud as Gibbs, who'd heard Kate scream, yelled into the phone. But Tony only heard Kate.

"Tony!" She screamed, completely panicked, as her gaze darted around the room.

"Kate!" Tony rushed to her side, the worry clearly etched upon his face as he searched the room for an unseen threat. She hurried to meet him and buried herself in his arms. He hugged her tight, not seeing any threat and having no clue what had happened. "It's ok, I'm here." He murmured soothingly against her hair. "What happened?"

"S…S…Sorry." Kate choked out through the sobs. She knew it was stupid, that she'd worried him for nothing, but she had been terrified. And then she'd woken up and hadn't been in his arms and it was like her nightmare had come to life. She hugged him tighter, thankful that he was still here.

Tony led her to the couch, still holding her securely in his arms. They sat down and resumed their favorite position, with her head on his chest and wrapped in each others arms. "Shh, it's ok. You're awake and everything's fine now. Just take a deep breath and tell me what happened." He knew it had to be a dream but he needed to know the details, and she needed to talk about it.

"I had this great dream and then Greg came in and he hit you and me and tied us up and then…then…" It had all spilled out in one huge breath but she couldn't say the next part, didn't even want to think about it. She'd been dreaming the same dream she always had about the perfect life with Tony, only it had been better because she knew she was in his arms and she could smell his scent around her and feel his solid muscles beneath her cheek. Then it had all gotten ruined by her worst nightmare…Greg.

"It's ok. It's over. He can't hurt you." Tony smoothed her hair. "Just tell me what happened."

"He made me watch while he…while he…_killed_ _you_." The last two words came out as barely a whisper as tears continued to slide down her cheeks. She hid her face in Tony's shirt. He gently rubbed her back as the words sank in and he wished he could make it all go away. He never should have left her. She would have been fine if he just hadn't left her. That's when he remembered Gibbs, who would think that Greg was there and was probably racing to their rescue right now.

He was right.


	5. Chapter 5

**AN:** Sorry this update took so long, I kinda hit a brick wall with my writing and then my stupid internet quit working so I was completely screwed. That's why you get 2 chapters at once! As always, thanks for the reviews. Please let me know what you think of these chapters. I'll update a lot sooner if I get reviews, and they'll keep me from hitting another brick wall!

**Chapter 5**

Kate was still snuggled inside Tony's embrace. Although her sobs had quieted, she couldn't make the tears stop. She knew that Tony was safe and that she was safe in his arms, but it didn't seem to matter. She couldn't quit seeing the terrifying sight of Greg standing over Tony's lifeless body. It really was her worst nightmare, and she prayed with all her might that if Greg was going to hurt anyone it would be her. No matter what, she couldn't let Greg kill someone else that she cared for, especially when that someone was Tony.

She held him tighter, wishing she could have protected him from her screwed up life. She should never have gone to work today. She should have run as soon as she found the letter, just like she'd always done. At least everyone she cared about would have been safe then, and they never would have had to know the truth about what she'd let happen to her and the death that she'd caused. She really had messed up everything.

At the same time Kate was worrying about protecting him, Tony was thinking about the best way to protect her and wishing there was more he could do. He wanted to erase everything that had happened, but he couldn't. All he could do was hold her, keep her safe, listen if she wanted to talk, and kill the bastard who'd dared to hurt her.

Just as he'd decided that they needed to move her to a safe house, someone started pounding on the door. Kate jumped and Tony, seeing the fear in her eyes, held her tighter and whispered "Gibbs." Then he yelled, "One second, Boss," so that Gibbs would know they were fine. The pounding immediately stopped but Tony made no move to get up. He had known Gibbs would be coming but hadn't wanted to let go of Kate long enough to get his phone off the kitchen floor and let Gibbs know it was a false alarm. Besides, Gibbs would have insisted on coming over anyway, so it really wouldn't have accomplished anything.

Kate stared at the door. She really didn't want her boss to see her like this and she didn't want to answer his questions or tell him the story, but she knew it was unavoidable now. She looked back at Tony for support as she reluctantly released her arms around him. She tried to move back so he could answer the door, but he didn't let her go.

"Don't worry." He spoke softly, with a sad, small smile gracing his lips in a small attempt to reassure her. He knew how much she didn't want to speak to Gibbs. "I'm not going anywhere. I'll be right beside you the whole time. I promised you that I wouldn't let anybody hurt you, and that includes Gibbs. Just say the word and he's gone."

She focused all of her attention on his breathtaking eyes, shutting out the rest of the world and allowing his words to wash over her. She could do this, as long as she had Tony by her side. He released her from his arms and took her hand, pulling her with him as he stood up. They paused in front of the door, each taking a deep breath as Tony looked out the peephole. He shared a look with Kate, making sure she was as ready as she'd ever be before opening the door to reveal a worried Jethro Gibbs.

"You two probably took ten years off my life." Gibbs yelled a bit too harshly as they opened the door. He winced at his own tone and the small flinch he'd seen from Kate, feeling like a total ass now. He definitely hadn't meant to sound so harsh, but he'd been so worried when he'd heard Kate scream and so relieved when he knew they were ok. He'd heard a little bit of their conversation through the phone before hanging up to call the team that was protecting Tony's apartment. None of them had reported a problem, but he hadn't been able to relax until he saw them in person.

Tony dropped Kate's hand and quickly wrapped an arm around her waist. He pulled her closer until she was leaning against his side. He'd noticed her flinch and stared at Gibbs with fire burning in his eyes. Gibbs took a step forward and Tony quickly reached at and flicked the door closed, releasing Kate for a moment so he could slide the deadbolt into place. Gibbs was left staring at the closed door in front of him, completely dumbfounded as to what had just happened, as was Kate.

"Tony!" Kate shrieked, completely shocked that Tony had just slammed the door in Gibbs' face. "What…" She was silenced as Tony turned back to her and placed a finger to her lips.

"I wasn't going to stand here and let him yell at you." Tony answered her unspoken question with a slight shrug, like it was no big deal. Now, though, he was faced with a dilemma. He had to talk to Gibbs, but he didn't want to let Gibbs anywhere near Kate yet. They could talk in the hallway, but he didn't want to leave Kate all alone. He didn't even like letting go of her, let alone letting her out of his sight, but he didn't have a choice.

"As much as I hate to, I really do have to talk to him, Kate, but that doesn't mean you have to. You can wait in the bedroom. I won't let him talk to you, ok?" She shook her head no and wrapped her arms around him, snuggling against his chest.

"I should be able to handle this." A few tears escaped and she was thankful Tony couldn't see them. He'd seen her cry enough today, and she was starting to feel like a total crybaby. He stroked her hair as she continued. "I have to do this, Tony. I can't let myself be this afraid. I can't let Greg have that control over me anymore. I'm an NCIS agent now. I'm not the same weak, naïve, defenseless girl I was back then and I can't let him keep making me feel like that again. No matter how much it hurts, I have to do everything I can to catch him, even if it means I have to tell Gibbs everything."

She moved her head from its resting place on his chest so that she could stare into his eyes, trying to gage his reaction. Tony was completely blown away by the strength and the conviction he saw swirling in her gaze. She was, without a doubt, the single most amazing person he'd ever known. He understood why she had to do this and, even though he wanted to protect her from the pain of having to relive everything for Gibbs, he had to let her do it.

"Then I'll be right here with you the entire time." Tony finally broke the silence, flashing her a smile. "You ready?" She nodded, but he could see the fear shining in her eyes. He took her hand again before reaching for the doorknob. She took a deep breath as he opened the door to reveal Gibbs standing exactly as they had left him, looking somewhat confused as to what he should do but immensely relieved that they'd opened the door.

Tony took a step back to allow Gibbs to enter. None of them spoke until they were all seated in the living room, Tony with his arm around still around Kate on the couch while Gibbs took the chair closest to them. "What do you want, Gibbs?" Tony was the first to break the silence.

"I need to know everything that's going on, then I'll catch you up on what we know and we can figure out where to go from there." Gibbs was speaking to Tony, but he couldn't take his eyes off Kate. Her eyes were red and a little puffy, so he knew she'd been crying. What they'd already told him was bad enough, making him want to strangle this guy with his own hands, but there was obviously a lot more if Kate was this upset.

Kate looked at Tony, unsure of where to start. She opened her mouth, hoping it would just come out, but Tony's voice stopped her. "Why don't you tell us what you know and then we can fill in the blanks. That way we won't have to waste time repeating things." He didn't want to put Kate through any more than they had to. This way she could answer Gibbs' questions without having to relive the entire story.

Gibbs was ready to object, but the look on Tony's face stopped him. Tony was obviously trying to spare Kate as much pain as possible. Gibbs didn't want to hurt Kate either, so he briefly nodded. "Just answer a couple questions to start with and then I'll tell you everything we've learned so far." He focused his attention on Kate. "How did this all start?

Kate took a deep breath before beginning, trying to stick to the basics and retain her calm. "I met him my senior year of high school and we started dating. Then things started getting bad and I ran right after graduation. He found me and a little while later and took me home, but I ran again. He found me again and hauled me back home, but as soon as I could walk I bought a ticket to D.C. and joined the Secret Service. About a year later he showed up and killed my friend Mark when he found him in my apartment."

She tried to keep her voice steady and impersonal, like she was reciting facts about somebody else, but it was impossible. Tony could tell she was fighting back tears when she got to the part about Mark, so he squeezed her tighter. Her hand was resting on her knee, so he placed his free hand on top of hers, lacing their fingers together. She offered him a weak smile of thanks when she was done, none of which went unnoticed by Gibbs who was staring at the pair intently.

Their feelings were as obvious to as the fact that there was more to the story than they were telling him. He was pretty sure he'd figured out the basics of what Kate had left out, and there was no need to make Kate relive any more. He could always double-check his suspicions with Tony later. Even though he was dreading it, it was time to tell Kate what they'd found at her apartment.

"This guy was obviously in your apartment. We went through your photo albums and it looks like several pictures are missing." He decided to skip what that asshole had done to her pictures, trying to protect her from what little he could. "From the way you had the albums organized, it looks like they're all pictures of guys from your past and your present." He paused, watching her eyes go wide at the thought of that bastard going through her things so that he could hunt down every guy she'd ever cared about.

She looked so scared and violated, and Gibbs hated himself for having to put her through this even though it had to be done. He let out a deep breath, wishing there was something more he could do. But just as the thought entered his mind, he watched Tony lean down and whisper something in her ear. Gibbs strained to hear what Tony was saying, but it was too soft for him to make out the words.

It didn't matter that Gibbs couldn't hear, because Kate heard Tony's words perfectly. "It's okay. Don't even think about it. Just focus on my words." Gibbs saw her eyes close, shutting out everything but Tony's voice. "You're safe here with me, and Gibbs is going to get this guy. We won't let him hurt anyone else. I'll make him pay."

Kate took a shaky breath before opening her eyes. Gibbs could still read the fear in her eyes, but it was less pronounced. At that moment, he developed a new respect for Tony. He had always worried about their chemistry and their odd relationship and how it could potentially affect their work, and a lot of his worry had focused on what would happen when Tony acted like typical Tony and treated Kate like he treated every other woman he became involved with. The most likely scenario in Gibbs' mind started with Tony sleeping around and ended with Kate shooting, strangling, or beating him to death.

It was clear now that their feelings went a lot deeper than he'd ever thought, especially Tony's. He would have never thought he'd actually be happy that Kate and Tony had this strange relationship, but he was immensely grateful for it now. Tony had known something was wrong and had amazingly gotten Kate to confide in him, something Gibbs probably wouldn't have been able to do. He mentally shuddered at the thought of Kate trying to deal with this on her own. He didn't even want to think about what could have happened if she'd been all alone, if Greg had gotten his hands on her. He wished Kate had felt comfortable enough to confide in him, but he'd forever be thankful that at least she had Tony.

Now, he had some tough things to ask both of them. "Kate, I'm going to need you to make a list of all the important guys in your life, especially the ones you had lots of pictures of. Try to make it as chronological as possible."

Kate opened her mouth to ask why but quickly froze when the profiler in her supplied the answer. That's how he'd go after them, either starting with the guys closest to her now or the ones he'd view as taking her from him. She realized that she understood how Greg's mind worked, and she knew which option he'd go for. She immediately shuddered at the thought and felt Tony's arm tighten around her, so she immediately sank into his embrace.

"He wants to break me." Her voice was barely above a whisper. She rested her head on Tony's shoulder and closed her eyes, wishing that what she was about to say wasn't true and that being in Tony's arms would make it all go away. "He'll go after the guys I'm close to now. That's what will hurt the most." She opened her eyes but kept her gaze locked on Tony's knee, refusing to meet anyone's eyes. They didn't need to see her eyes though, because they could hear the shame mixed with fear in her voice as she flashed back to another time and softly admitted, "He always does what hurts the most."

Tony pulled her closer until she was snuggly settled in his lap as Gibbs looked on shocked, completely horrified by Kate's revelation and at a loss for what he could do besides slowly and painfully killing this bastard. Tony tried to comfort Kate, only briefly raising his eyes to share a murderous glare with Gibbs, both men wanting to tear Greg limb from limb.

Kate wasn't crying. She didn't have any tears left to shed. She tried to turn herself to stone, blankly staring at a spot on Tony's chest. She couldn't handle any more emotion. She just shut down. She heard Tony whisper her name, but she couldn't make her mouth move to answer him. He lifted her chin, searching her eyes for a sign of what she was thinking. She met his eyes, which was a good sign, but she quickly lowered her gaze and it broke Tony's heart. She was pulling away from him, and he couldn't figure out why.

All Kate could think was that this was all her fault and that everything Greg had said about her had been true. Her friends were going to die because of her. She wished she'd never told anybody, that she'd never gotten Tony involved. She would rather been killed without them never knowing the truth, but it was too late now. Greg was going to make her watch while he killed everyone who'd ever made the mistake of caring about her. She was basically a death sentence.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

She sat unmoving in Tony's embrace for half an hour while Tony tried comforting her and Gibbs looked on helplessly. Finally, Gibbs knew he couldn't wait any longer. Greg could be out there killing guys right now. He needed that list of possible victims. "Kate…" He trailed off when Tony shot him an angry glare that clearly told him to shut the hell up. He swallowed, not wanting to put Kate through more but knowing that this was too important to forget about. He had to put his personal feelings aside and just do his damn job. He cleared his throat. "I really need that list. It's our best shot at catching this guy, and it's the only way we'll be able to protect anyone."

Tony continued to glare at him, but Kate never looked up. He tried again, using the commanding, 'you better do what I tell you, now!' tone that was usually reserved for DiNozzo. "Kate." Gibbs was relieved when she finally looked up. He softened his voice, now that he had her attention. "I need you to take this pen and this paper and go into the bedroom and make me a list, okay?"

She slowly nodded, realizing how important it was even though Tony looked ready to kill Gibbs for even asking. "Okay." She whispered, reluctantly sliding from Tony's grasp to pick up the pen and paper. She started towards the bedroom, but suddenly hesitated. She hadn't been alone in what seemed like forever, even though it hadn't even been a day yet, and she didn't like how that felt. What if Greg was hiding in the bedroom? What if he'd come in through the window?

Her face paled and her breathing accelerated as scenarios raced through her head. Tony was instantly behind her, wrapping his arms around her and resting his head on hers. "You okay?" He whispered as she sunk back against him.

She could only nod as she took a few deep breaths. She'd been really close to hyperventilating, but all it took was a touch from Tony to chase all the "what if's" from her mind. She'd be okay, she told herself. She could do this. "I'm fine." She whispered back even though they both knew it wasn't true. "I just got a little freaked out for a minute. I'm okay now."

She turned to face him and he was relieved to see that whatever had happened had jolted her back to reality. She was acting like Kate again, not a shell of a human being. She met his eyes and offered a tiny, sheepish smile. He kissed her forehead, then rested his forehead on hers and looked deeply into her eyes, searching for an answer. "Are you sure you're ok?"

"Not really." She answered truthfully. "But that's not what's important. What's important is catching Greg before he hurts someone just because they know me." She saw the understanding flash in his eyes so she continued. "I have to do this."

"Okay, but you're wrong about one thing. You are _the_ most important person in all of this. I want you to be okay. Everything else comes secondary. Don't ever think differently, got it?" The smile that spread across his face was infectious. For a moment, the pain and fear disappeared from Kate's face, replaced by a look of pure happiness that she only got from being with Tony. He would have loved to find a way to make that look permanent, like it always was in his dreams, but right now he was just glad he could give her a moment's reprieve.

Gibbs watched the scene unfolding before him in total silence. It seemed like they'd both forgotten he was even here, but he didn't mind. He'd been a little scared that he'd pushed her too much, but it seemed like she was back to the normal now. Tony had amazingly gotten her to smile, which Gibbs would have thought was impossible under the circumstances. Tony made her happy, and she really needed that right now. It made him feel even worse about what he was going to do, but he told himself that it would be worth it in the end. The faster he caught that son of a bitch, the sooner Tony and Kate could really be together.

Kate rested her head on Tony's chest again and Gibbs, who'd at least waited for their happy moment to pass, cleared his throat. "Kate, I really need that list." Kate nodded, quickly sharing a glance with Tony before turning around and starting towards the bedroom again. But Tony moved with her, never breaking contact, and Gibbs realized this was going to be harder than he thought. "Freeze, DiNozzo. I need to have a word with you."

Both agents froze and Tony glanced over his shoulder. "It can wait until the list is done." Tony replied coolly, sounding a lot like Gibbs.

"No, it can't." Gibbs replied in the same tone, clearly ready for a showdown. "Kate doesn't need you to help with the letter. I need you helping me out here, if you want to catch this guy."

Tony glared at Gibbs, looking like he wanted to strangle him. Kate turned to face him. "I'll be fine." His gaze immediately softened as he turned to look at her. She nodded up at him. "Really. You can help Gibbs. I just want to catch this guy, and I know you'll be right out here if I need you." She forced a smile, trying to put on a brave face even though she really didn't want him to leave her alone, even if it was only in the other room.

"Are you sure? Because I don't have to leave you. I don't want to, and I'm sure it can wait a little while or Gibbs wouldn't have waited until now to bring it up." He was rambling on, so Kate gently placed her palm to his lips.

"It's okay. I'll call if I need anything. Now get to work." She winked at him, still keeping up her show of bravado. He hesitantly nodded, seeing through her masquerade but not having much of a choice. She lowered her hand and forced herself to turn and slowly walk away, knowing she was walking right out of the safety of his arms.

He lightly rested his hands on her hips, unwilling to lose contact before he absolutely had to. They slowly slid back as she got further and further away, and he had to fight the urge to pull her back. Meanwhile, she was fighting the urge to turn back to the comfort of his arms. Her panic level rose as his hands continued to slip off. Her steps briefly faltered when only the barest brush of his fingertips linked them together. She held her breath and forced herself to take that last step to sever the contact. The break was a tangible thing, and she felt it in every nerve cell in her body. But she had to keep going. All Tony could do was watch her walk away.


	7. Chapter 7

**AN: **sorry it's taken me forever to update. I was totally blocked but I'm back now…it's amazing how procrastinating over writing an assignment does wonders for clearing that up, lol. I know this is short but it was necessary for the set up. i promise the next chapter will be a lot longer : )

As always, **please review**. It'll help prolong my procrastination : D

**Chapter 7**

"What's so important it couldn't wait until we finished the list?" Tony glared at Gibbs accusingly, like he was the bad guy in all this. Gibbs grabbed Tony and hauled him into the kitchen, which was farther away from the bedroom. Tony struggled against his hold but Gibbs refused to let go.

"Look, DiNozzo," Gibbs hissed, making sure to keep his voice low. He really didn't want Kate overhearing them. "You need to quit fighting me on everything. If you really care about Kate and want to keep her safe then you need to let us do our jobs and you need to do yours. Don't forget, you're on Kate's list too. We all are, which means that Kate is safer away from us. We'll move her to a safe house tonight."

"Fine, but I'm going with her."

"No, DiNozzo, you're not listening to me! There's a good chance that this guy is going after the guys closest to Kate right now, which puts you near the top of the list. He might have this place under surveillance. If you leave first, alone and without Kate while I stay here he might decide to follow you, which means he won't be able to try and follow Kate. It's just an added precaution. Besides, we need you helping us to nail this guy. You can't do us any good if you're locked away in a safe house."

"But it'll do Kate good. Do you really want to leave her all alone at a safe house? I can protect her. I can help her. I will die before I let him get near her. You have to let me stay with her." Tony pleaded with Gibbs to understand. Letting Kate out of his sight had been almost impossible even though he knew she was safe in the next room. There was no way he could let her leave the apartment without him.

"But she won't be alone. She'll be protected by specially trained agents the whole time." Gibbs said gently. He already understood why Tony felt he needed to stay glued to Kate. He'd expected as much before he'd come over but he'd known his decision was for the best. What he hadn't counted on was the depth of their connection. Now that he'd witnessed it firsthand, he was starting to wonder just how Tony leaving would affect Kate. He felt like a bastard for forcing the issue, but he knew in his gut that it had to be done.

"It's not going to happen, Boss." Tony stared Gibbs down, completely calm and in control. He kept his voice even, letting Gibbs know there was no room for negotiation. "You can fire me if you want to or I can quit right now, but I will never leave Kate. No matter what."

Gibbs matched Tony's icy glare. For once, Gibbs had no idea how to proceed. He needed to separate Tony and Kate, and then Kate from NCIS and everyone there that might be a target. But Tony wasn't about to budge. He said the only thing he could think of. "If you quit, you won't have any idea where we take Kate. And you won't be able to catch Greg and make him pay. You don't have a choice. You either leave her at the safe house and help with the case, or you quit and I'll have you physically removed."


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

Kate froze a foot away from the doorway. Was Gibbs really going to take Tony away? He couldn't do that, and not just because she didn't know what she'd do without him. As long as Tony was at the safe house with her then Greg couldn't hurt him. Even if he was out there working the case he would still be vulnerable. Kate would rather die than see Tony hurt. She'd always felt that was as his partner and his friend, but now that feeling was even more intense. He'd been so amazing to her, letting her see the sensitive guy that he usually hid under layers of sarcasm and sexual innuendo. He was exactly who she needed.

Sure, she'd always had strong feelings for him, but she'd told herself they were nothing more than the strong bond that came from being partners who always had to rely on each other. When she'd started dreaming about him she'd racked it up to the fact that he was an incredibly sexy and sometimes charming guy that she spent a lot of time with. He was a womanizing cad who could drive her crazy with his juvenile ways so that had to be it. She couldn't actually have been falling for him.

After today, she couldn't deny or explain away her feelings anymore. She knew she was in no shape for a relationship. Even if they caught Greg it wasn't like all the damage he'd done would just disappear. But that didn't mean she couldn't finally admit the truth, if only to herself. She'd been falling for him ever since that first night on Air Force One, and her feelings weren't about to go away. It would never go anywhere, but that didn't mean she could let go of him. As the silence in the kitchen dragged on, she took a deep breath and stepped through the doorway.

She found Gibbs and Tony in identical stances, glaring at each other with their arms crossed over their chests. Tony looked up the second she crossed into the kitchen and the scowl immediately slid off his face. Gibbs face also softened when he turned his attention to her, but it did nothing to alleviate the tension hanging thick in the air. Tony immediately skirted around Gibbs and stopped a foot in front of her.

"Hey," he whispered, automatically reaching up to let his fingers trace her cheek. "You okay?" She nodded, but he didn't look convinced. "Are you done with the list already?" She shrugged, confounding him. He was starting to really worry since she hadn't said a single word yet. He should have stayed with her. Damn Gibbs! Didn't he care about Kate at all? Didn't he see what he was doing?

Tony started to pull Kate into his arms but she placed a soft hand to his chest to stop him. He stared questioningly into her eyes, wondering if he'd done something wrong that she didn't want him to hold her anymore. That thought was like a searing knife through his heart. He was about to ask when she finally spoke, although it was barely above a whisper.

"I can't make it all make sense. I can't figure out who he's going to go after. I love pictures so I have a lot of them, and there's just too many different people. Is he going to hurt every guy just because they're in a picture? There's too many and I don't even know most of them anymore. Everything he did was always so methodical. This just doesn't make sense." She closed the space between her and Tony and immediately felt his strong, safe arms surround her.

"What about the list Kate? At least it's somewhere to start." Gibbs' rough voice intruded and Kate felt Tony tense. She didn't need to look to know he was glaring at Gibbs over his shoulder. She shook her head, which was still tucked under Tony's chin. She knew that Gibbs couldn't see her since Tony seemed to be shielding her with his body, but she didn't care.

Gibbs raised his voice, saying her name to get her attention and hopefully an answer to his question. Tony turned his head to glare at him, fully prepared to tell him to get the hell out but Kate's hand on his cheek stopped him. She guided his head back around until he was staring down at her. "It's ok," she whispered. "I don't want him to make you leave." She closed her eyes, knowing that Gibbs wanted to make him leave no matter what. She didn't know what she could do to change Gibbs' mind and she hated being so week, but there wasn't a single doubt in her mind how much she needed Tony right now.

"I'm not going anywhere." Tony whispered back, softly kissing her forehead. He glanced over his shoulder and said, loud enough for Gibbs to hear, "Let's go back to the living room and figure this out."

Once they'd resumed their previous places in the living room, with Kate once again wrapped in Tony's arms, it was time for the heavy talking to begin. Kate had been trying to get inside Greg's head while she'd made the list of guys, trying to figure out who he'd go after first and how he'd find them. She'd come up with more questions than answers but maybe Tony and Gibbs could help make sense of it all.

"I started thinking while I was working on the list. There are probably a bunch of guys in those pictures who weren't a big part of my life, like acquaintances from work or friends of friends. I haven't seen some of those guys in a long time so I probably wouldn't even know if something had happened to them. Greg wants to hurt me and that wouldn't hurt me enough. He'll want to go after the guy that I'm closest to now, but how is he going to figure that out? Even if he narrows it down to all the guys who are in my life now, he'll still need to figure out the single most important one so he can push me over the edge."

"Don't you think he'll just go after all the guys that are in your life now? He sounds like he wants to punish every guy who's ever been near you. Would he care about taking out the one that's the most important to you first?" Gibbs gently questioned. Kate was sounding more like her usual self, like the agent he knew and loved. Her mind was working almost like it would on any other case, which Gibbs hoped meant that she was going to be ok.

"Trust me, he'll want the man he views as his biggest competition gone first. It'll hurt me the most, prove that he can still control and ruin my life, and take away the guy that I rely on the most. It'll leave me more vulnerable to him so it's definitely what he'll do. He's too controlled to be going off half-cocked and without a concrete plan. He'll know who he's going after, but how?"

"Did you have an address book? We didn't find one when we searched your apartment. If he had that he'd know where to find every guy you know." Gibbs immediately wished he could take the last sentence back when he saw Kate flinch slightly, but at least she didn't fall apart.

Tony squeezed her a little tighter and she pushed the thought from her head, pushing on. "My only address book is at the office. Everything is on my PDA and I never leave home without it, so he couldn't have got to it." She paused for a second, trying to think of anything she had in her apartment besides the pictures that could have been used by Greg. Her eyes widened and she whispered, "My journal." Why hadn't she thought of that sooner. "No!" She jumped from the couch and ran to the bedroom, leaving her stunned teammates staring after her.

Tony rushed after her a second later, leaving Gibbs to wonder if he should follow or let Tony handle it. He needed to know what was in the journal that could help Greg, especially since Kate had reacted so bad, but he also needed to make sure she was ok. He decided to give Tony five minutes, and then he was going in.

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AN: please review and let me know what you think : ) 


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

Tony walked into the bedroom and found Kate with sitting on the bed with her knees drawn up to her chest. She didn't look up, didn't even acknowledge he'd walked in. "Kate," he spoke softly, not wanting to startle her if she was too lost in her own thoughts. She still didn't move so he took a step closer so he could slowly sit down next to her. He placed a hand on her shoulder, but she didn't lean back into his arms like she'd been doing all day. She was acting like he wasn't even there and it was killing him. He needed her to confide in him. He wanted to be the one she leaned on, but now she was retreating.

He'd told himself when she'd ran from the room that she'd been running because Gibbs was there, but now he knew that she'd been running from him too. It hit him like a kick in the gut, stealing all the air from his lungs and making him want to double in pain. He didn't know what had changed, what could possibly be so bad that she'd want to hide it from him. He felt like he'd failed her completely, both as her friend and as a man. He wished he could fix it but he didn't know how.

He did the only thing he could do, pulling her into his arms and breathing a sigh of relief when she didn't tense up or fight him. "Let me in, Kate. Let me help." He breathed the words into her ear and they seemed to help. She let out a deep breath and began.

"He has my diary." Her small, shaky voice nearly broke his heart. "He knows who I care about more than anyone else. He knows what'll hurt the most." She felt Tony tense and squeezed him tighter, keeping her head buried in his chest so she wouldn't have to look him in the eyes. She knew what question was coming next but she wished she didn't have to answer it.

"Who?" His words were rough but he couldn't help it. He knew this wasn't the time to be jealous but, damn it, he couldn't help it. Kate was about to name the one guy he wished he could be, the guy who was so important to Kate that she couldn't live without him. He almost didn't want to know and he hated himself for that. Here he was kicking himself because he wanted Kate to be able to tell him everything, and now a part of him wished he'd never asked. Talk about selfish.

He tried to prepare himself, to show no emotion and be there for Kate 110 no matter whose name she said. It didn't work. He still froze when she whispered a muffled name against his chest. "What?" He asked, sure that his ears had been playing tricks on him.

"You." She whispered, a little louder this time, and he knew that he hadn't been hearing things. Despite everything that was going on, he couldn't stop his smile. He pressed a kiss to the top of her head and held her as tight as he could. That single word was the greatest thing anyone had ever said to him and he started to tell her that when he felt her shudder in his arms.

Her silent tears were soaking his shirt and he felt like a total ass for not realizing it sooner, too lost in his own happiness. "Don't cry, babe." He stroked her cheek, tracing her tears. "It's all going to be okay. Gibbs and I are going to get this guy before he gets anywhere near you."

Kate finally raised her head so she could look him in the eyes, feeling guiltier by the second. "I'm sorry, Tony. He's going to hurt you and it's all my fault." She tried to scoot away from him but he wouldn't let her. He took her face softly in his hands so she couldn't look away, making sure he had her undivided attention. She needed to hear this and know that it was true.

"You don't have anything to be sorry for. None of this is your fault. You didn't ask for this guy to hurt you or anyone you care about. This is all on him. And he's not going to hurt anyone this time. We won't let him."

"But I wrote about you in that stupid journal. If I hadn't, if you never knew me, he wouldn't be coming after you."

"Kate." He'd said it a little too forceful but he couldn't take her berating herself. "Don't talk like that. I don't even want to think about a life where I'd never met you. You don't know how happy I was when you said it was me that was in that journal. I was dreading hearing you talk about some other guy that was the most important man in you life because I wanted that man to be me. I'd gladly face down a 100 psychopaths if it means I get to be that guy. Don't ever feel sorry for that, Kate, 'cause I'll always be thankful for it."

She smiled and he took the opportunity to kiss her tears away. First her right cheek, then her left. He met her eyes and she leaned closer, closing her eyes and giving him the permission he was searching for. His eyes drifted closed as his lips softly met hers.

Gibbs chose that moment to check on his agents. He froze in the doorway, completely shocked but not wanting to interrupt. He quietly backed out, deciding to give them another minute. He couldn't figure out how they went from Kate's journal to Kate and Tony kissing, and he wasn't really sure he wanted to know. Whatever had happened, at least Kate wasn't crying or shutting down. But they still had a bad guy to catch so he cleared his throat loudly, "Are you two coming out sometime today?"

Tony and Kate slowly pulled apart, both smiling. Tony ran his thumb across her lips. "I've been waiting for that since Air Force One. Later, Kate, when this is all over, you and I have some talking to do. I want to know what you wrote about me in this journal of yours." He raised his eyebrows and flashed a suggestive grin. "I bet it was some juicy stuff. But until then…" He took her lips again, a little harder this time before he forced himself to pull away. She'd been through hell and he didn't want to push her. He reached for her hand as they stood up. "Come on, we don't want Gibbs to come looking for us."

Kate laughed at the image of Gibbs catching them, amazed that she still could laugh under the circumstances. Tony was always good at that. He could take her mind off of anything just by being himself and cracking a joke, flashing her that mega-watt grin of his, or throwing paper clips at her.

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"What's up?" Gibbs asked as soon as his two agents appeared, hand in hand. Kate immediately lowered her eyes. Even with everything Tony had said she still felt responsible for putting him at risk.

"He probably has my journal." Kate mumbled and Tony squeezed her hand in support. "He's going to go after Tony."

Gibbs had guessed about the journal, but the revelation that she'd written about Tony left him speechless. He'd known that they were close, that there were feeling lurking beneath the surface that neither seemed willing to admit. Gibbs had never expected Kate to admit to herself how much she really cared about Tony, let alone write about it. His money would have been on Tony putting the moves on her during some really tense situation when all their emotions were hanging on by a thread.

He could tell his silence was starting to worry them but he'd been caught totally off guard. Finally, he cleared his throat. "Uh, I guess we at least know where to start. I'd put the NCIS team at the top of the list from the beginning since we spend so much time together and there were plenty of pictures of us at your place. Now we know to focus on Tony."

"Boss," Tony interrupted. "Maybe we should get Kate out of here now."

Gibbs nodded, "Yeah, I'll make the call and we'll move you both to a safe house within a half hour." Tony looked confused. "But Gibbs," he started before Gibbs silenced him with a look. "Both of you." He growled.

"But what you said earlier could be our best chance of catching him." Tony said, referring to Gibbs' plan to separate him and Kate.

"I thought you wanted to stay and protect Kate."

"I thought you wanted to catch this guy." Tony countered. The best way he could help Kate was by catching Greg. Gibbs had been right, as much as he hated to admit it. He was so busy staring down Gibbs that he was caught totally off guard when Kate spun around and smacked him in the shoulder.

"Ow! What the…" Tony rubbed his shoulder.

"Are you crazy?!" Kate exploded, looking angrier than Tony had ever seen her. And that included the time he'd answered her cell phone and told the guy she was seeing that Kate couldn't come to the phone right now 'cause she was waiting for him in the shower. It would have been even more hilarious if Kate hadn't overheard and elbowed him in the solar plexus before he could even hang up. "You are not using yourself as bait, DiNozzo! If anyone should be bait her it should be…"

"Don't." Tony quickly pressed a finger to her lips. "Don't even think it Kate. It's not an option."

"Neither is this." She glared at him and he couldn't help but laugh. She was just so cute when she was angry. He immediately regretted it when she shoved him, taking him by surprise again and making him stumble a little. It was then he noticed the worry shimmering in her eyes that she was trying to mask underneath the anger. She was worrying for him, it dawned on him. She took a step closer so she was standing right in front of him again and the look on her face nearly did him in.

"Tony," Her voice was soft, barely above a whisper. "Please, don't do this. Just stay with me. Let Gibbs catch him. I couldn't stand it if anything happened to you, especially if it was all because of me. I know," She held up a hand when he started to correct her. "It would be his fault, not mine. But that wouldn't make it any easier. Promise me, Tony. Promise me you'll stay."

Tony swallowed back the lump in his throat. He didn't want to cause Kate a single moment of pain or worry, but he wanted to catch this guy now. He wanted to hurt Greg, to make sure he'd never hurt Kate again. He rebelled at the idea of leaving the job to Gibbs, but Kate hadn't given him much of a choice. There was no way he could walk out on her now. On the other hand, what she didn't know couldn't hurt her. Although it could be pretty painful for him after she found out. Still, there was only one thing he could do.

"I promise, Kate."

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**Please Review : )**


	10. Chapter 10

**AN: **I just wanted to say thanks to everyone who's reviewed. You guys are awesome, as always!!! I never would have gotten this chapter done if I hadn't come home from the first day of my new job from hell and found an inbox full of reviews. Please keep it up! Good or bad, I need reviews now more than ever. And constructive criticism is always welcomed, especially since I wrote this in two nights in a row instead of sleeping : D

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**Chapter 10**

Gibbs had made a call and, fifteen minutes later, Tony and Kate were packed and ready to move to the safe house. "It'll be better if you guys leave separately, twenty minutes apart. Tony, you'll leave first. Since you're number one on Greg's list he might decide to follow you and we'll be able to grab him. I'll stay here with Kate in case he decides to come after her when he sees you leave."

Tony and Kate both nodded in agreement. They wanted to stay together but they both knew that this was the best way. Gibbs continued outlining the plan. "Tony, we've been watching your car so we know it hasn't been tampered with. I want you to leave in your car just like you normally would and go back to headquarters. We'll have agents watching you the entire time and if you get even the slightest bad feeling I want you to call them so they can move in." He sent Tony a look that let him know he was deadly serious, but Tony easily met his stare. There was no way Gibbs could intimidate him with a look when he was feeling this murderous.

Gibbs let out a sigh of exasperation, knowing his agent would never make that call. In fact, he wouldn't be surprised if Tony caught sight of Greg and intentionally ditched the agents so he could handle it himself and dish out his own, very painful and potentially deadly brand of justice. Gibbs couldn't really blame him, knowing that he'd do the same thing if the situations were reversed. It was a character trait he and Tony had in common, which probably wasn't a good thing. He switched his attention to Kate, knowing that she at least had the common sense to follow orders. Well, most of the time. Gibbs didn't doubt that she'd do something stupid that would risk her own life if it meant saving Tony. He just hoped that Tony realized that and wouldn't do anything stupid to put himself in that kind of position.

"Kate and I will sneak out the back way twenty minutes later where McGee will be waiting with an unmarked SUV. We'll go back to headquarters, where we'll all rendezvous with another team of agents that are going to be helping us out. Two of them will act as decoys. They'll be disguised as you two and they'll go with McGee in the SUV to a dummy safe house we're going to use to try to trap him."

"And then you'll move us to the real safe house?" Tony asked but Gibbs was already shaking his head.

"No, I think you'll be better off staying at headquarters for right now. It won't be as comfortable but it's the one place where your safety is guaranteed, at least from this nutcase. We can move you to a safe house sometime tomorrow if this trap doesn't work, but I'd rather not risk moving you guys while there's a chance the decoy might work. Ok?"

Both agents nodded, although Tony looked a little unsure. Gibbs shot him a questioning look but Tony ignored it, immediately smoothing out his features until his face was devoid of all emotion. It was a lot like the unreadable mask Gibbs often wore and he wondered when Tony had mastered it enough that even he couldn't tell what was going on in his agent's mind. But his gut was definitely telling him that something wasn't right. He had a bad feeling that things were about to go terribly, irrevocably wrong, but he couldn't figure out what act of stupidity Tony was about to perform.

He silently cursed now that the shoe was on the other foot and he was the one left in the dark. No wonder he aggravated everyone so often, although he was sure that wasn't the only reason. Gibbs wanted to pull Tony aside but his cell rang and interrupted him, telling him that everyone was in place and they were ready to move.

Tony turned and pulled Kate into a tight hug. She held on as tight as she could, a part of her panicking at the thought of being here without him even though Gibbs would be with her the entire time. It just wasn't the same. Besides, she had a bad feeling about this.

She always seemed to have a sixth sense about Tony. People in general were usually easy for her to read because of her profiler training but Tony was more open to her than anyone she'd ever known, especially when he was trying to hide something. It was like she could see inside his head at times and anticipate his moves. It was part of why they worked so well together, and the reason she was so worried now. This was the only time that Tony had ever been unreadable to her. The only thing that had betrayed him were his hard, unyielding eyes, which were burning with rage and swirling with a hint of deception.

"Don't do it." Kate whispered in his ear. "Please, Tony. You promised. It's not worth it. It's not worth risking you." Her voice cracked at the thought of losing him and she felt him stiffen.

"It'll be ok, Kate. I promise. I won't let him hurt either one of us. Just trust me." Tony's lips brushed her ear. He'd hoped he could get away without anyone catching on but he should have known better. He'd never been able to completely hide anything from Kate, just like she hadn't been able to keep anything from him. They had some kind of amazing connection that Tony couldn't even begin to explain, but it was a real pain in the ass right now.

He kissed her on the cheek before forcing himself to pull away. He had a job to do, and this time it had nothing to do with the law. Kate reached for his hand as he turned away and he looked back at her over his shoulder. Tony could see the silent plea shining in her eyes and he was caught. He felt the guilt well up inside and he couldn't look away. He didn't want to hurt Kate and he started to wonder if it was worth the risk. Maybe he should at least try it Gibbs' way first.

He was still torn when Gibbs cleared his throat, breaking the spell. He tried to flash Kate one of his reassuring grins but he could only manage the barest flicker of a smile. He hoped it was enough. He dropped her hand and, with one final look over his shoulder, picked up his bag and walked out the door.

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"You have to stop him, Gibbs!" Kate cried as soon as Tony pulled the door closed behind him. "He's going to…"

"I know, Kate." Gibbs interrupted, practically snarling. "I told the other agents to stick close and to be prepared for him to try something. There's nothing else we can do." Gibbs looked down, hating the words that had just left his mouth. He was used to being in total control at all times, but he'd lost control the second he'd let Kate leave with Tony this morning even though he knew there was something else wrong. He'd made stupid assumptions and he couldn't remember a time in his life when he'd felt like a bigger ass.

Kate had needed him and he'd been too busy trying to decide if their relationship was big enough or screwed up enough that he'd have to transfer one of them, and wondering how he'd ever be able to make that choice. Now Kate was looking to him for help again, this time with Tony, and he couldn't come up with a single damn thing that could help.

"We have to be able to do something. We could follow him. He'd never be able to lose both of us and we'd be there to back him up if something happened. Maybe if I'm there Greg come after me instead." She was rambling and fighting back tears but she couldn't seem to stop herself. She was too worried about Tony, too busy picturing the worst to care about acting strong.

"Shh." Gibbs gave her a quick hug and tried to soothe her, but this wasn't exactly something they taught in basic training. Although, they probably should. He could see it now: "Comforting Women 101. Required Text: _How to Comfort Women: The Idiot's (aka MEN's) Guide_. Gibbs suddenly found himself trying to fight a smile. What a strange time for his unique sense of humor to strike.

He shook his head. _Damn, DiNozzo_, he thought,_ worrying about you're ugly mug is starting to make me crack. I must really need a vacation._ He paused, unable to believe that thought had just entered his head. He must really be losing it. He shook his head again, dislodging the unwanted though and returning his attention to Kate who was staring at him strangely. He was relieved that she'd at least calmed down, not that he could take any credit for it, and was looking more like her old, controlled self again.

Kate wasn't sure exactly what had just happened. One minute she was freaking out about Tony pulling a Tony and getting himself hurt, or even killed. Gibbs was trying in his own way to calm her down but it wasn't working, not that she blamed him. Even though he acted like a father figure to the team, probably without even realizing it, she still couldn't picture him spending his free time comforting crying women.

It wasn't Gibbs fault that he couldn't help her. Only Tony could do that, but if Tony was here then she wouldn't have had a problem in the first place. She'd been ready to retreat to the bedroom, Tony's bedroom, since slipping between his sheets and letting his scent envelop her was as close as she could get to his warm, soothing arms around her. But when she'd looked up to tell Gibbs she'd realized he was lost inside his own mind. She'd had to watch this rare, unguarded moment, focusing most of her attention on the fleeting emotions that flashing across his face.

She wondered what he was thinking about, watching as one corner of his mouth twitched in the slightest smile before dropping into a scowl. Then he'd just looked bewildered, something she'd never though Jethro Gibbs could be. He'd finally snapped out of it but, even though he'd been caught and in true Gibbs fashion, he wasn't about to be forthcoming with information. "Well?" She questioned when he remained silent.

Gibbs shrugged, ready to tell Kate it was nothing but he stopped himself. He'd just figured out the one thing he had to offer her…a distraction. Even though he hated revealing anything, he started telling her about the Comforting Women class. She laughed a little and he knew that he had to keep this going and keep her mind off of Tony, at least as much as was possible.

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Ten minutes later, Gibbs was glad to see that his plan seemed to be working. He'd just told her the details of the infamous wife #2 wielding a 7 iron story and gotten her to smile again and even crack a joke. But now his brain had locked and he couldn't come up with another good story that didn't involve DiNozzo.

"Are you worried about Tony?" Kate asked in a small voice. "Is that part of what you were thinking about earlier/"

Gibbs swallowed and thought for a second before finally deciding to tell her the truth. "Yeah, I'm a worried but I know he can handle himself. I'm just worried because all you guys are like my family. I figure you guys are way less dangerous than a wives who want to use my head as a golf ball, or a baseball." He tried to lighten the mood and was rewarded with Kate's small smile. "The point is that I'm not worried because I think something bad might happen to Tony. I'm worried because I care about him and I feel responsible for him. I feel the same way about you and Abs, and even McGee and Ducky. And earlier I was cursing Tony out in my mind for making me crack, making me lose my edge. I even thought that I might need a vacation after all this is over."

"Thanks, Gibbs." Kate smiled. "You know we all feel the same way, like we're a family. I think that's part of why I was afraid to do anything that might cause problems, like telling you guys everything as soon as I got the first note. I didn't want to disappoint everyone or change the way you guys looked at me but, more importantly, I didn't want to be the one who broke the family up."

"There's nothing you could do to break up this family. We're way too tough for that." Gibbs winked and Kate knew he'd understood that she was talking about more than just her secret past. Hopefully that meant that Rule 12 had been torn out of the rulebook. But right now she had more important things to worry about, like Tony. She knew they'd be together after this no matter what the rules said, as long as they both survived.

She didn't have time to think about that now. Gibbs cell had just gone off. It was time to go. She said a quick prayer that Tony would be waiting for her without a single scratch on him as Gibbs picked up her bag and escorted her out to the waiting SUV. She said a quick hello to McGee as she slid down in the back seat, staying out of the line of sight, and the line of fire. Twenty minutes, she told herself. Just twenty minutes until she was safe in Tony's arms again.


	11. Chapter 11

a/n: sorry i dropped out of sight but i had two different versions of this chapter and i couldn't choose which one to use, lol. thanks for all the reviews : D

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**Chapter 11**

Gibbs glanced at Kate in the rearview mirror for the twentieth time during their twenty minute drive. She was still fidgeting, wringing her hands in worry that Tony was laying in a ditch with a bullet lodged somewhere inside the hollow cavern that was supposed to hold his brain. He swore that if Tony had been dumb enough to get himself killed he'd…well, he wasn't sure what he would do. It wasn't like he could kill him twice, Gibbs thought glumly.

They made the final turn into the parking lot and Kate found herself holding her breath. She let out a sigh of relief and felt her body go boneless when she saw Tony's car shining in his usual parking spot, immediately noticing the lack of bullet holes and silently thanking God that he'd made it in one piece. She vaulted from the car as soon as it came to a stop, so obsessed with seeing Tony after missing him so long that she completely forgot about the madman that was out to get her.

Gibbs hopped out of the car only half a second behind her, unable to believe she could be so stupid. He grabbed her from behind and Kate let out a startled scream. Gibbs ignored it and pulled her back until she was somewhat safely tucked beside the car before he lost it. "Think, Kate! You do not go running around when someone wants you dead without checking the area first! What the hell did you think you were doing? Of all the dumb…" He trailed off, trying to grasp the cool, calculating calm he was famous for but failing miserably. His agent's life was at stake and he was too far beyond pissed off to calm down. He mumbled angrily under his breath, but not under enough, "Rule 12. This is why Tony needs to go."

Kate froze, staring at Gibbs with wide eyes and the most horrified expression he'd ever seen tinged with the traces of fear that had only left her eyes when Tony was near. Damn, he hadn't meant to say that out loud, but it was the truth and there was nothing he could do about it now. McGee, who'd been checking out the area even though they both knew there was already a surveillance team in place, yelled that everything was clear just as Tony came busting through the parking lot door at mach speed yelling "Kate!"

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Tony almost collapsed when he saw Kate, safe and sound, standing next to Gibbs. He'd been listening to the surveillance team's frequency when one of them had said they heard a scream. He hadn't waited another second, ripping off the headset and running faster than he'd ever run. He'd been terrified that something had happened to her because he hadn't been there to protect her. His heart was beating so fast by the time he reached the door that he'd thought it was going to explode before he ever got to her.

* * *

Kate took off across the parking lot as soon as she spotted Tony and leapt into his arms. She rested her head against his chest, the pounding of his heart filling her ears and blocking out everything else, including Gibbs' words that had been reverberating through her head. He wrapped her tightly in his arms until there wasn't a breath of space between them, leaning down to whisper, "What's wrong, babe?"

"Don't leave me." She whispered, as a few tears escaped and slid slowly down her cheeks. "Don't let Gibbs take you away from me."

He kissed the top of her head to reassure her, wondering why she'd say that since Gibbs had been on her side the last time they talked. He glanced curiously at Gibbs over the top of Kate's head but Gibbs immediately turned to talk to McGee. Something had definitely gone down and he was determined to find out what, but first he had to get Kate settled. He'd have to deal with Gibbs later, just like he'd have to deal with Greg later since the bastard hadn't shown himself during the drive over.

None of that mattered now, though. He'd been going crazy waiting for Kate but he'd made good use of his time, formulating a plan to put an end to Greg his own way if Gibbs' plan failed. He almost hoped it would fail since his way was so much more satisfying, but he'd be happy as long as Greg was out of Kate's life forever. All he had to do now was wait and take care of Kate.

He led her inside and onto the elevator with Gibbs and McGee close behind and the surveillance team still out of sight, watching to see if Greg would show up and try something. Headquarters was usually eerie at night, freakishly silent and dimly lit. Tony knew it was more alive than usual tonight but he'd made sure their floor was blissfully empty. He knew Kate wouldn't want to be surrounded by people, especially people that knew even a little bit of her story.

He knew that Gibbs and McGee would probably stay close and that Abby would be up here as soon as possible, so he'd opted to set up camp in the break room so they'd have a little privacy. He kept a hand on her back as the stepped off the elevator and steered her towards their makeshift lodging.

Abby had brought some pillows and two sleeping bags up as soon as he'd gotten there, saying they were courtesy of Jethro Gibbs. Gibbs had apparently thought ahead when he'd called to fill her and Ducky in, which Tony had to give him credit for since sleeping arrangements had been the furthest thing from his mind. He grinned, thinking that was definitely something that hadn't happened before, especially where Kate was concerned.

He hadn't thought about sleeping arrangements for a single second when it was time to fix their "beds," either. Abby had stayed to help and she'd raised a pierced eyebrow when he'd spread one sleeping bag open on the floor and used the second one as a blanket. Luckily, she was too busy bursting with questions about Greg, which he refused to answer since it wasn't his place, to ask about the bed, not that he had an answer. He just knew that he needed Kate in his arms tonight, and that Kate needed him just as much.

He knew he'd been right when Kate walked through the break room door and relaxed just a little. She hadn't been planning on sleeping tonight but it felt good to know that Tony was planning on staying with her. She'd been a little afraid that he'd leave her alone now that she was safe so he could focus on the "case." She didn't want to be out there watching the team go over her horrible history like it was a case, even though she guessed it was, but she wouldn't have had a choice if Tony had planned to leave her alone. She should have known not to worry, that Tony would understand exactly how she felt and make sure they stayed together.

Tony shut the door behind them. He pulled out a chair from the table and sat down, pulling Kate onto his lap. "What happened, Kate? Why would Gibbs take me away?"

She rested her head on his shoulder and explained what had happened in the parking lot and what Gibbs had said. "I was worried he was going to split us up because we're too close." Kate finished.

"I won't let him. Besides, he wouldn't do anything that stupid. He was probably just blowing off steam." Tony reassured her, acting like he was completely calm and it was no big deal when nothing could be further from the truth. He was definitely going to have a talk with Gibbs. He could understand Gibbs wanting to separate them if it meant catching this guy, but doing it because of one of his stupid rules, which they hadn't _really_ broken yet, was just mean.

Tony was about to tell Kate that he'd go deal with Gibbs now when a loud knock interrupted him and the door opened to reveal Gibbs. "The decoys are in place, in case you guys want to come out and monitor the action. I'll be following McGee."

Tony nodded, wishing he could be out there too, and Gibbs turned to leave. Tony whispered in Kate's ear to give him a second and got up to follow Gibbs, who'd stopped to wait for him just outside the door. "Gibbs," Tony kept his voice low so that Kate wouldn't hear. "Make him pay."

Gibbs nodded once, knowing this was one of the only things he and Tony were in agreement on. "Take care of her." He said as he turned and walked away.

* * *

**please review : )**


	12. Chapter 12

a/n: thanks for the reviews. this chapter doesn't have as much tate as usual but don't worry, i promise there's a lot more coming. things are just getting interesting : D

* * *

**Chapter 12**

"Damn," Gibbs smacked the steering wheel. McGee and the decoys had been at the safe house for 2 hours and Greg still hadn't showed. There'd been no sign of him during the hour drive either, and Gibbs' gut was telling him he wasn't going to show anytime soon.

Something about tonight just didn't feel right and he was starting to think he should have stayed with Tony and Kate. He knew they were in the safest possible place and that a surveillance team was still in place but he hadn't gotten this far by ignoring his gut.

"McGee," he spoke into his headset.

"Yeah, boss."

"I don't think he's going to show but stay alert. I'm going back to check on Kate and Tony." He was already pulling out of his hiding spot when McGee, after a brief pause, replied. "Okay, boss."

* * *

Back at headquarters, Kate had finally given into exhaustion and fallen asleep in Tony's arms. He'd been watching her sleep, one of his favorite pastimes, for the past hour, but he knew that he had to move soon. This had been his plan all along. Wait for her to fall asleep and sneak out so he could find Greg and make him pay before she ever woke up. 

He knew it was the only way he could go after Greg without her worrying, but now he was afraid to move. He remembered what had happened the last time he'd left her while she was asleep and he didn't want to put her through that, especially since she'd be all alone this time. He couldn't do that.

In a stroke of DiNozzo brilliance, he grabbed his phone and sent a text message to Abby. _Abbs, I need you to come up and stay w/ Kate while I check something out._

_K, _Abby replied. _But you better not be doing anything stupid DiNozzo._

He grinned, wondering how many times today someone had told him that. They knew him too well. He heard the elevator ding and slowly slid out from under Kate, kissing her forehead before making his way to the door. She rolled around a little but didn't wake up and he breathed a sigh of relief.

He stepped out the door and found Abby already waiting for him.

"What are you up to, Tony? You know Gibbs told you to stay put." Abby chided him.

"I just got an idea and need to check something out. It's not like I'm leaving the building. I just didn't want to leave Kate alone in case she wakes up." Tony lied smoothly, already knowing that Abby would be one more person giving him hell about this later.

"You better not be doing what I think your doing, 'cause I'm not as nice as Gibbs. I'll smack something a lot more valuable than your head." She glared at Tony and he flinched, knowing exactly which body part she'd be aiming for.

"Relax, Abbs. I'm just going downstairs." Tony smiled and tried to act nonchalant, like he wasn't envisioning the pain that Abby would inflict on him when all this was over.

Abby continued to glare at him, wondering if he really could be that stupid. She decided to leave him with one final warning. "Look, I don't know what's going on with you and Kate but I know that she cares about you. She trusted you with her past. Not me, not Gibbs. You. Don't do anything that's going to make her regret that. You're her lifeline right now, the one person she's relying on. Don't screw that up. Don't make her worry or hurt anymore than she already is. You got that, DiNozzo?"

Tony nodded solemnly, then turned and walked away. He wished there was another way to do this, a way that would totally spare Kate, but there wasn't. He'd just have to make sure he got this over with quickly so she'd never have to worry again.

Abby watched until he got on the elevator then, after looking in to make sure Kate was still sleeping, whipped out her cell phone to call Gibbs. He answered on the second ring and she blurted out, "Tony just left."

Gibbs paused briefly then swore so loud she had to hold the phone away from her ear. "Shit! I knew he was going to pull a DiNozzo. Of all the stupid…Why the hell did you let him leave?"

"Because I wasn't willing to maim him…_yet_. Besides, I don't think he'd do anything stupid enough to get himself hurt."

"Usually, I'd agree with you, but this is Tony and Kate we're talking about. You know he's always been a little stupid when it comes to her." He took a deep breath. "Stay with Kate. Do not tell her about Tony. I'll be there in fifteen minutes." He hung up without saying goodbye and slammed on the gas. He needed to find Tony before he got himself killed, or killed Greg. He'd hate to have to arrest his own agent, especially when he agreed that it was justified.

* * *

Tony had snagged the keys to one of the cars and snuck out the back to avoid the majority of the surveillance team. He made it onto the road without any problems and was just about to turn at the stop sign when the hair on the back of his neck started to stand up. Someone was watching him. He looked to the right just in time to see a shadow duck into an alley way. 

It was him, it had to be. He threw the car in park and jumped out, leaving it in the middle of the street. He drew his gun and took off down the alley, hoping like hell this guy gave him a reason to shot but only after he'd beat him to a bloody pulp.

Tony was getting closer and closer to where the alley broke off to form a T and he worried that he wouldn't get there in time to see which way Greg had went so he picked up speed. He reached the intersection and glanced to the right. It was empty so he turned to the left without missing a step, but he couldn't see Greg there either.

He skidded to a halt, glancing left and right before finally deciding on left. He turned and took two steps before he heard a tiny sound behind him. He whipped around just in time to see something dark and solid only an inch away from his head.

He tried to duck but it was too late. His last thought before metal collided with skull was, "I'm sorry, Kate." Then his world slid into darkness


	13. Chapter 13

A/N: Sorry for the long hiatus. I got a little blocked. I think it was just too hard to think about Tony being hurt, cuz all I wanted to do was comfort him : D

* * *

**Chapter 13**

"Tony!" Kate screamed and bolted from her makeshift bed on the floor. Her eyes frantically searched the small room, already knowing what she'd find. Tony was gone.

She raced for the door just as it opened to reveal a worried Abby still clutching her cell phone in her hand. She'd called McGee after talking to Gibbs, not wanting to walk into the break room and risk waking Kate up. Abby had wanted to put off her questions as long as possible. Kate was her friend, she couldn't lie to her. At least, she couldn't lie convincingly.

"Where's Tony?" Kate questioned immediately.

Abby swallowed hard. She didn't have a choice. She had to lie for Kate's own good, so she didn't endanger herself by running off to find Tony. But that didn't make it any easier to lie to a friend, especially since Kate would probably hate her for it if anything happened to Tony.

"He's checking all the evidence and information again. You know Tony. He thinks he can see things that we can't. He wanted to make sure we didn't miss anything." The lie flowed off her tongue and she forced herself to look Kate in the eye since looking anywhere else might give her away.

Kate stared at her, sizing her up and deciding whether to believe her or not. "But where is he?" She asked skeptically, because she did know Tony. She had a terrible heaviness in the pit of her stomach. Something was definitely wrong, and it had to be Tony.

"He's around here somewhere. Umm…maybe in down in the lab?" Abby offered with a nervous shrug, stumbling a little over expanding the lie.

Kate shook her head. She didn't believe a word Abby said. He'd gone after Greg, just like she'd been afraid he would. She wouldn't let Greg take away another person she loved. Especially when that person was Tony. She pushed past Abby and raced out the door. Abby froze for a second before running after her, calling her name and praying that she'd stop. But Kate never even slowed. She had to get to Tony. Nothing else mattered, not even her own life.

* * *

_Pain_. The word leapt into Tony's brain the second he came to. He felt like his brain had swelled to 5 times the size of his head, which was about to explode from the pressure. What the hell had happened to him? He knew it was something important but he couldn't remember.

_Kate._ He remembered Kate, but what about Kate? Was she hurt to? His heart started hammering in his chest. Without even opening his eyes, which would have probably been a huge and painful mistake, he knew that Kate wasn't in the room with him. Wait, _room. _That seemed wrong. He tried to block out the pain and focus on why that was wrong but the memories stayed just out of reach.

"Okay, Tony." He thought, reminding himself not to panic. "Forget about remembering and concentrate on what you already know. You're face down in a room with an excruciating headache, for lack of a better word, and it has something to do with Kate. Damn, that's not much to go on, but I have to find Kate. That's all that matters."

That thought was enough to force him open his eyes, and he found himself in blissful darkness. Thank God, because light was definitely his head's enemy right now. He ignored the intensifying pain and forced himself to roll over. He couldn't stop his groan of agony. Damn, that hurt. He took a deep breath and decided to get it over with quickly. In one smooth motion, he hauled himself up into a sitting position and bit his lip to keep from screaming until his brain registered the metallic taste of his own blood.

The split lip barely registered on his pain meter. Pain was radiating from his left temple and pulsing through the rest of his head. He raised a hand to his temple to tenderly feel for a bump and was confused to find that it was soaking wet and a little sticky. He pulled his hand back down and saw red, staring until everything finally clicked in his mind.

He quickly looked around the room, ignoring the protesting pain in his head. Shit. He was definitely in trouble. There was no way in hell he'd made it out of that alley on his own but it didn't make sense for Greg to drag him here, wherever here was, when he could have killed him on the spot. And where was Greg now? Was he keeping watch outside the door or would he have left and risked Tony finding a way to escape or alert someone?

Then, it dawned on him. Greg didn't just want him dead, he wanted to make him suffer. And he wanted Kate to see, to make her suffer too. He jumped to his feet, ignoring the blinding pain that threatened to bring him to his knees. He had to find Kate before Greg did. He just prayed she had more sense than he did, that she was staying safe at headquarters and not charging off alone like the headstrong idiot he obviously was.

He reached the door and jiggled the doorknob. It was locked and blocked by something on the other side, just as he'd figured. But, hey, it was worth a try. He looked around the small, windowless room and found exactly nothing. It had been completely and meticulously cleaned out.

His first instinct was to crash headfirst through the locked and reinforced door, then repeat until the door and whatever was holding it gave way. But some calm, rational voice in the back of his mind, which sounded strangely like Gibbs, told him that knocking himself unconscious (again) wouldn't do Kate any good. He had to forget about the fact that Kate was in trouble because of his own stupidity and come up with an ingenious plan to get him out of here.

"Okay," he reassured himself, taking a deep breath. "I can do this. I can do this. I have to do this."

Somewhat calmer, he stared down at the doorknob. There was only one way out of here, unless he developed a sudden taste for concrete and managed to eat his way through one of the walls. It was simple. All he had to do was get the door unlocked and push whatever was blocking it far enough out of the way for him to squeeze out. He could do that. After all, when had a lock ever kept him out of Kate's desk?

* * *

a/n: i know it's shorter than usual, but what'd you think? i'm used to writing fluff more than action or drama, so how'd i do? any comments, ideas, suggestions, constructive criticism, etc. would be greatly appreciated : ) 


	14. Chapter 14

a/n: sorry for the long wait, it's been a crazy semester. but now it's spring break and my goal is to finish this fic by the end of the week. And thanks to every one of my wonderful reviewers : )

**Chapter 14**

"I got it! He's parked in an alley a few blocks away." Abby turned from the screen and saw Kate already racing to the elevator. She jumped up to follow just as the elevator doors opened and Gibbs stepped out.

"Stop." Gibbs commanded, grabbing Kate before she could run past him.

"But Gibbs…" Kate started only to be silenced by Gibbs' glare.

"I already know, Kate. Tony went off on his own, like an idiot, to find Greg and now his car is parked in a back alley a few streets away. I already checked it out. He's not there."

Kate felt like her heart had just plummeted to the floor and bounced a few times before shattering into a million pieces. He wasn't there and that could only mean one thing. Greg had got him and he was hurt or dead or dying right now, and it was all because of her.

She jerked out of Gibbs' grasp and flung herself through the door to the stairwell, hearing Gibbs' footsteps echoing behind her as she raced down the steps. He caught up with her after two floors and grabbed her arm again. She struggled against his hold, pushing and pulling with all her strength but it was useless against the ex-marine.

"Let me go, Gibbs!" Kate smacked Gibbs in the chest but he didn't budge. She struggled to blink back the tears of panic that were threatening to fall and tried to reason with him. "I have to save him, Gibbs. Don't you see, this is all because of me so I'm his best shot of getting out of there alive."

"Not like this, you're not. _We_ are his best shot of getting out of there, wherever there is, but only if we stay calm and think like NCIS agents. Now come back upstairs so we can come up with a plan. And if you try to leave again, I will handcuff you to your chair. Got it?" Gibbs glared down at her, letting her know he meant business. He wasn't about to have another one of his agents running off half-cocked.

Kate reluctantly nodded and started back up the steps. The quicker they came up with a plan, the quicker they would get to Tony and the last time that maniac would have to hurt him.

* * *

"Damn it!" Tony punched the door in frustration, then immediately clutched his hand and doubled over in pain. "Ow!" He said to himself once the pain had subsided to a dull ache. "Okay, that was probably not my best idea." He glared at the door he'd spent the past hour trying to open and then kicked it. "That's what I should have done before" he thought. 

The lock had proved easy enough to jimmy open but whatever was blocking the door had refused to budge and inch, which had pissed him off. This explained his possibly broken hand. He stalked across the room, putting as much distance as possible between him and the door he'd been cursing so he could step back and consider his options. He froze when he heard a scraping sound outside the door, then forced his muscles to relax in preparation for a fight.

He moved to stand beside the door, pressing up against the wall to give himself a chance to surprise the guy. The door slowly opened and a gun was shoved through the doorway. Tony immediately lunged to grab the gun and tried to twist it out of his opponent's hands, taking both of them to the floor.

"Tony" Kate cried out as she landed underneath him on the floor. He froze above her, realizing only a second before just who he was attacking. He released the gun and smiled down at her before pushing himself up and reaching to help her stand.

He wrapped her in a hug as soon as her feet touched the floor. She relaxed into his embrace and all the words he wanted to say stuck in his throat. Instead, he whispered "Let's get out of here."

They started towards the door just as Greg stepped through it, his gun trained on Tony. "I knew you'd come, Katie. I knew you'd come to watch him die."

"Actually, she came to watch you die." Tony smirked as he saw Gibbs silently appear behind Greg.

"Shut up!" Greg sputtered, his gun trembling in anger. "I warned her what would happen if she left. And now she has to pay. Say goodbye to your boyfriend, Katie."

He started to pull the trigger but Kate was faster. She raised her gun and quickly squeezed off two shots, double tapping the heart just as she'd been trained to do. At the same time, Gibbs fired twice, going for his head like he should have done with Ari. The gun dropped from Greg's hand as he fell to the floor.

Kate stared at the crumpled heap on the floor that had tormented her for so many years. "I'd rather say goodbye to you."

"You okay?" Tony placed the hand that wasn't throbbing on her back. She nodded and he pulled her closer. "Then let's go home." He led her around the body and out the door, leaving Gibbs to deal with the aftermath.

* * *

They drove back to Tony's apartment in silence, other than Kate telling him that he needed to be checked out at the hospital. He'd told her he was fine and he was, if you didn't count his throbbing hand and the headache from hell. But he was more worried about her right now. 

They parked beside Tony's apartment, the place they both thought of when Tony had said "let's go home." He knew she shouldn't be alone right now but the truth was that even if she'd been perfectly fine he still would have wanted to bring her back here. He liked having her in his apartment, which was how he'd always thought of it before. It was just an apartment, a temporary place to live. But when she was there, it was home.

He pushed those thoughts out of his mind, knowing that now wasn't the time to deal with them. They got out of the car and he slipped an arm around Kate's waist, keeping her close until the got to his apartment. She finally spoke once they got inside.

"Where's your first aid kit? We need to clean you up since you're too stubborn to go to the hospital." She tried to smile but there was nothing behind it.

"Forget about it. It's nothing." Tony shrugged her off. "You're the one who's had the rough night." He tried to nudge her towards the couch, hoping they could sit down and she'd open up to him, but she resisted.

She looked up at him and he could see her considering her options. "Fine, how 'bout we try something new and compromise. We can talk while I take care of your head. Okay?"

"Awww, but compromising is no fun." Tony pouted and resembled a five year old who didn't get his way. He started to stomp down the hall to get his first aid kit, shooting her a smile and a wink over his shoulder. Kate smiled back at him, a real smile this time. She sat down on the couch to wait for him, amazed at how little it took for Tony to make her smile.

_

* * *

review…you know you want to ; ) _


	15. Chapter 15

AN: Sorry for the delay. I ended up writing two different versions of what happens after this chapter and I couldn't decide which story line to go with, so this will have to tide you over til I can find some NCIS fans to bounce the two plots off of. I'll post the next chapter as soon as I figure out which story line to go with.

And thanks, as always, to the wonderful people who continue to read this story and review : )

**Chapter 15**

Tony reappeared with the first aid kit a minute later and a huge grin on his face. He'd made Kate smile once and he knew just how to do it again. "Nurse Kaaaate, I'm reaaady." She looked up from the couch and tried not to smile, but lost the battle when he wiggled his eyebrows at her. "Do I get a lollipop if I'm good?"

She laughed, and boy did it feel good to laugh again. "I didn't know you knew how to be good, Tony." He grabbed his heart and looked wounded, causing Kate to laugh again.

"I'm hurt, Kate. You have no idea how good I can be." He smiled mischievously and Kate stopped laughing, hearing the underlying suggestiveness of his words.

"Sit down so I can fix your head before what little brains you have left leak out."

"Yes, Nurse Katie." Tony replied obediently and sat down, although the mischievous sparkle remained in his eye. Kate winced at being called Katie and Tony immediately turned somber, kicking himself for his stupidity.

"I'm sorry, Kate."

"Forget about it. It's nothing." She echoed his words from earlier. "Just let me fix your head." She poured some peroxide onto a piece of gauze and scooted closer so she could clean his wound. She cringed at all the dried blood, knowing it had to hurt like hell and hating Greg even more. "This is going to sting." She warned him but he still hissed in pain when the antiseptic touched his wound. She leaned in and softly blew on it, dulling the pain. Although Tony wasn't sure if it was the blowing or her nearness that took away the sting.

"There," Kate smiled, moving back. "All better."

"Thanks. You make a great nurse." Tony swallowed. He knew they had to talk but he hated ruining Kate's smile. But it was better to get it over with now. She'd helped him, now it was his turn to help her.

"I believe we had a deal. Are you ready to talk about it now?"

Kate fought to keep her smile in place, but she wasn't fooling Tony. She started to say there was nothing to talk about but Tony cut her off.

"Don't Kate. Don't try to play it down and pretend that nothing is wrong because I'm not buying it. I know you better than that. You've been through hell today and, like it or not, you need to talk about it."

Kate swallowed hard, knowing deep down that Tony was right even though she hated to admit it. But she wasn't sure where to start. She looked down at her tightly clasped hands, avoiding Tony's gaze, and the words just started to tumble out.

"You got hurt because of me." That wasn't how she'd wanted to start but it was the first thought that came to mind, so she pushed on before Tony could tell her again that it wasn't her fault. "That's always been my biggest fear. That he'd hurt another person I cared about. I could take him killing me. I probably even deserved it after everything that happened. But I couldn't take him hurting me through the people who's only crime was knowing me."

Her voice broke and Tony quickly pulled her into his lap. He wanted to kill Greg all over again, only much slower this time.

"Let's get a few things straight, Kate. First of all, I didn't get hurt because of you. I got hurt because I'm an idiot. I wanted to be the one who made him pay and I didn't think beyond that. I know better than that so it's my fault, not yours. Secondly, you are definitely worth a bump on the head. I'd rather have been beaten to a pulp than have never met you." _Actually_, Tony thought, _I'd rather be dead. But she doesn't need to hear that right now. She'd probably elbow me._

"Thanks, I think." She smiled up at him through her tears and Tony tried not to think about how easy it would be to lean down and kiss her right now. He called himself a bastard and ten times a fool for thinking such things after everything she'd been through. He deserved twenty slaps to the back of the head. Where the hell was Gibbs when he needed some sense slapped into him?

"Uh, maybe we should get some sleep." Tony said when he noticed her stifle a yawn. "We can talk more in the morning. Ok?" Kate nodded, grateful for the reprieve even though she was sure she'd never be able to sleep. She started to stand up but Tony held her tighter, keeping her firmly in his lap. "Allow me." He flashed her his million-watt grin and stood with her in his arms, surprising the heck out of her.

"Tony! You're head!" She immediately reached up to hold on to his neck. "Put me down!"

"Not a chance. My head is fine. I'm trying to be nice here and show you that I'm not an insensitive jerk. I can be a gentlemen, you know."

"More like a caveman." Kate growled, but she was grinning which had been Tony's intent. At least, that's what he told himself. Holding her was just a bonus. He set her down on the bed and brought her her bag. He kissed the top of her head before leaving the room, pulling the door shut behind him so she could get ready for bed.

He leaned against the door, not wanting to go too far in case she needed him. He wondered if she'd want to sleep alone tonight or if she'd let him be there for her. He was worried that she'd try to tough it out, that her pride would keep her from asking him to stay. He was still worried about her and he was man enough to admit that he needed to stay with her. He needed to know she was safe in his arms.

* * *

Kate quickly dressed for bed and brushed her teeth. As much as she hated to admit it, she felt too alone and vulnerable without Tony there. She kept expecting Greg to jump out from every shadow. She opened the door, which Tony was still leaning against, sending him stumbling back into the room. He locked eyes with Kate as soon as he regained his balance and they both burst out laughing.

"You think that's funny, Kate?" Tony raised an eyebrow and Kate nodded, still laughing too hard to answer. "Then you'll love this." He rushed towards her, swinging her up in his arms before she knew what was happening.

"Tony!" She squealed in surprise.

He dropped her on the bed and started tickling her. She shrieked and squirmed, trying to get away from his devilish fingers. "Do you still think it's so funny?"

"Y…Yes!" Kate continued to laugh and tried to fight back. Her fingers connected with a ticklish spot on Tony's side and he shuddered. "Now. I've. Got. You. DiNozzo." Kate said between gasping for breath and laughing.

Tony was fighting to stay on top and tickle her while evading her hands, now that she'd found his weak spot. He twisted to protect his side and Kate shoved against his chest. He quickly ended up beside her on the bed, both of them gasping for breath.

"Truce?" Tony panted.

"Truce." Kate quickly agreed even though she was already thinking of ways to pay Tony back.

"I'll be right back." Tony got up and grabbed a pair of shorts from the dresser. He disappeared into the adjoining bathroom, leaving Kate to catch her breath. He returned a few minutes later, ready for bed. He turned off the light as he made his way back to the bed, leaving the room in shadows.

He tossed back the covers and lifted Kate, who still hadn't moved, up to the head of the bed. He immediately slid in next to her, not bothering to ask about sleeping arrangements. He knew that neither one of them wanted to sleep alone but he was afraid she wouldn't admit it if he asked. And he had no doubts she would smack him if she really did want to be alone, so he wasn't really pushing her. At least, that's what he told himself.

"Sweet dreams, Kate." He briefly kissed her temple and pulled her close, relieved when she didn't pull away. If anything, she snuggled closer and he mentally breathed a sigh of relief knowing he'd made the right decision.

"Goodnight, Tony." Kate smiled into the dark. There was no way she could sleep tonight but at least Tony hadn't left her. She felt his warmth against her back and his arm around her waist and it made her feel safe for the first time all night. She didn't really understand it. Or maybe she did and she just wasn't ready to admit it.


End file.
